Linyue had marched to his study. She stopped in front of the door, and knocked. Three short, polite knocks. The kind that said, I'm calm, but I might flip your desk.
A familiar flat voice called out from inside. "Come in."
Shu Mingye was sitting behind his desk, holding a scroll. He looked exactly like the elegant, terrifying king everyone feared, except when he looked up and saw her, he blinked in surprise. Still, he recovered fast. He smiled and casually asked. "Miss me already, Pie?"
Linyue didn't waste time. Her voice was calm, but her stare was not. "Did you hide something from me?"
Shu Mingye leaned back on his chair. "What could I possibly hide from you? Pie, I would never lie or hide anything from you."
He said it smoothly. But the moment the words left his mouth… he remembered something.
The scroll. That scroll.
His mind froze. His posture froze. His soul, possibly, also froze.
Linyue narrowed her eyes. "Really?"
Shu Mingye didn't answer. He placed the scroll down on the desk with too much care, like he was stalling. Then he stood, slow and calm, and walked over to her. He took her hands in his, and gently stroked her knuckles as if trying to smooth away her suspicion.
"Pie…" he started softly.
Linyue said nothing. She simply looked up at him, eyes cool and quiet, but clearly waiting for the truth.
He hesitated. His grip on her hands stayed firm, but his gaze slipped away, landing somewhere over her shoulder. Anywhere but her face.
"That scroll…" Shu Mingye said after a long pause. "I burned it."
Linyue's eyebrows knit together. "Why?"
Shu Mingye exhaled, like someone carrying a weight too heavy to share. "It's not something you need to worry about. I'll take care of it."
Her hands pulled back slightly, her posture stiffening. "Why can't you tell me? Why won't you even look at me?"
That question hit harder than he expected. He froze for a heartbeat. His chest felt tight. She wasn't angry—not the loud, dramatic kind he could joke away. This was quiet and heavy. It was like he had broken something fragile between them.
He turned his head, forcing himself to meet her gaze. His usual teasing was gone. His eyes looked softer. Raw in a way he never let anyone see. "Pie…" His voice was low, strained. "Can you trust me?"
Linyue didn't answer. She didn't turn away either, but her silence stung. It wasn't rejection. It wasn't anger. Just a quiet hurt swimming under the surface.
Shu Mingye stepped forward, then he wrapped his arms around her. Not tight, not demanding, just enough to hold her close. His hand found her hair, his fingers stroking with a gentle rhythm.
"Please," he whispered. "Trust me, Pie."
He held her there, quiet and close, hoping it was enough for now.
Linyue didn't understand his reason, but she remembered how he had trusted her before. Even when she hid her identity. Even when she stayed silent about her past. He had protected her, teased her, stood by her, and somehow loved her anyway. So this time, she chose to trust him too.
She slowly wrapped her arms around him and pulled him even closer. "Alright."
Shu Mingye let out a quiet breath. His smile was a little crooked, a little relieved. He kept stroking her hair, slow and gentle, like he couldn't help himself.
"So," he murmured, voice lighter now, "do you miss me now?"
Linyue gave a quiet laugh under her breath. "How confident."
"I miss you," he said without hesitation.
Her heart gave a small thump. She hugged him tighter. Even if he was hiding something. Even if he had burned a scroll she wanted to read. She didn't want to let go of this warmth.
Shu Mingye leaned his chin lightly on her head. "Did you come here just to ask about that scroll?"
"I needed to clear my mind."
He chuckled, sounding far too pleased. "And you came to find me for that? Excellent choice."
…Wait. That didn't sound like comfort. That sounded like he was up to something. Linyue's arms loosened at once. She tilted her head up, eyes narrowing. "Excellent choice? What exactly are you planning?"
Shu Mingye's grin widened. "Pie, I haven't even done anything yet."
"Exactly," Linyue said flatly, already shifting a step back. "This is a tactical retreat. Before you do something."
He put on a wounded expression. "Where's all that courage from last night? The courage you used to seduce me?"
Linyue's face went completely blank. "…Stop talking about it."
Of course, Shu Mingye didn't stop. He grinned, thoroughly enjoying himself as her ears turned pink. She turned on her heel like she might walk out, but his hand caught hers gently and tugged her back.
"Too late," he said in a low voice, teasing. "You already seduced me, remember?"
"Shu Mingye."
"Yes, my brave little Pie?"
She glared. He smiled. And somehow, even with secrets, worries, and chaos all around them, they were still exactly themselves.
Linyue let out a soft sigh. She pulled back just enough to look at him seriously. "Have you found out something about him?"
Shu Mingye understood immediately. His teasing vanished. "Not yet. It's harder than I thought. Why? Did something happen already?"
Linyue hesitated for a breath. "I have my doubts."
That was Linyue-speak for: I suspect something deeply unsettling but need to triple-check it twelve times before emotionally reacting.
Shu Mingye nodded, calm and serious. "Care to share?"
So she did. Carefully, she laid out every detail swirling in her mind.
Shu Mingye didn't interrupt. He just leaned against his desk, arms crossed, his sharp eyes fixed on her face the whole time. Not blinking. Not smiling. Just listening. When she finally finished, there was a small pause. Then he spoke, voice low but steady. "Pie… actually, there's one thing that stays the same in all of those events."
"Really?" she asked, eyebrows lifting.
He nodded once. "All of them… involved a lot of lives. The sacrifices. The experiments. The Crimson Bloodroot. None of it was small. Every single one took a lot of lives."
Linyue froze. He was right. She hadn't seen it like that before. It wasn't just random chaos. It was big. Costly. Bloody. But what for?
She lowered her gaze, her brows knitting tighter. "But what would someone even gain from that kind of massacre?"
Shu Mingye raised an eyebrow, his tone dry. "You're asking me like I've ever done something normal."
Linyue gave him a look.
He smiled a little, like he had too much practice thinking of grim things. "Power, maybe. Or a forbidden technique. Something that needs… well, death. Blood. Desperation. You'd be surprised how many things in this world start with someone saying I have a plan and end with someone else on fire."
Linyue rubbed her temple slowly. "Your metaphors are terrible."
Shu Mingye moved closer and gently bumped his forehead against hers. "My metaphors are amazing. You're just too serious to appreciate them."
She sighed. He wasn't wrong. Not completely.
Then his voice softened again. "We'll find out. Whoever's behind this, we'll stop them."
"We?" she asked, glancing up at him.
"Of course," he said smoothly, brushing his fingers along her cheek. "Together, we're unstoppable. Also very good-looking."
"…Shameless," Linyue muttered, though there was the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips.
He grinned wider, as if it were the highest compliment. "You missed me. Admit it."
She glared. He looked delighted. Honestly, she hadn't expected him to take it this seriously. Normally, Shu Mingye's reaction to other people's problems was something like hm, sounds like a personal issue followed by walking away in style. But now he was here, standing beside her. Ready to step in. All because it might or might not be connected to her or her master. And for some reason, that made her smile wider than she meant to. Even if he was annoying. Even if he was shameless. Something warm bloomed quietly in her chest.
Chaos couple: still thriving, somehow. And maybe now ready to fight back.