Shu Mingye froze. The teasing faded from his eyes. For a moment, there was no wicked grin, no smugness, just a quiet stillness. His gaze softening as if her words had reached somewhere he didn't know how to guard. His lips parted slightly, like he wanted to speak but couldn't. Then his smile returned, gentler this time, warm and unbearably fond. He kissed her again, slow and tender, pouring everything he couldn't say into that one touch.
Later, after he had bathed her carefully, dressed her in fresh robes, and fussed over her like an overprotective husband while still managing to look unbearably smug, they ended up wrapped in each other's arms like two very lazy dumplings refusing to leave the steamer.
Linyue lay with her head resting on his chest, her fingers tracing lazy circles against the smooth fabric of his robe. His heartbeat thudded steady beneath her ear. Deep. Comforting. Annoyingly addictive.
She tilted her head up, her voice quiet, thoughtful. "Is everything alright in Shulin?" she asked. "What should I do… as your wife?"
Shu Mingye glanced down at her, his smile returning full force. "Everything is fine," he said calmly, his fingers stroking her hair with maddening ease. "And as my wife, you should stay by my side and love me."
Her lips twitched. "That's it?"
"That's everything," Shu Mingye replied without hesitation. "Oh. And maybe kiss me ten times a day. No, twenty. Actually, let's make it thirty to be safe."
Linyue let out a small laugh and hid her face against his chest so he wouldn't see the smile tugging at her lips. "Let's negotiate," she said, her voice muffled.
Shu Mingye smirked. "It's not negotiable." He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, as if stamping the deal.
She huffed, the sound caught somewhere between annoyance and affection. "Then I'll just eat a lot of pies and dumplings… and take a lot of naps."
His chest rumbled with low laughter. "Good plan. You don't need to worry about anything, Pie. Your loud companions decided to stay and help. Shen Zhenyu offered himself as secretary and adviser. He Yuying followed and keeps complaining every ten minutes, but he still does whatever he's told. And the super loud one…"
"Sister Meiyu," Linyue corrected, her lips twitching.
Shu Mingye nodded. "Right. She's now training as the royal physician. Somehow she's terrifyingly committed. It's louder in the palace now."
Linyue's lips curled upward in quiet amusement. "Really?"
"Mhm." He shifted slightly, his arm tightening around her waist to pull her even closer. "You've been sleeping too long. It'll take time for you to catch up."
"They didn't say anything about that," she murmured, her brows furrowing slightly.
"They didn't want you to worry," he said simply. "They're loud, chaotic, and full-time troublemakers… but somehow, they're also reliable."
Linyue smiled faintly against his chest. "Somehow."
"And," Shu Mingye added smoothly, leaning down once more to kiss her forehead, "I got to spend more time with you. That's a win."
Linyue sighed and gave in with a tiny smile. "Fine. You win."
"Of course I do," he said cheerfully. Then his voice dropped into that playful, fake-serious tone he liked to use when he was about to say something completely ridiculous. "By the way, Pie… now that we're married, which name do you prefer? My surname Shu, your family's Yun, or your master's Qi?"
"I get to choose?"
"Normally no," he said with a shrug. "But I'll let you. Because I'm a generous husband."
"I'm your wife. Why would I use another surname?"
Shu Mingye's grin returned, looking far too proud of himself. "I also thought so. Shu Mingye and Shu Linyue. See? It rhymes. It's clearly fate."
Linyue laughed, shaking her head. "Sure, sure. As long as you like it."
"I love it," he said with zero hesitation, then leaned down to nuzzle her cheek.
Linyue smiled, then glanced around the room. "Where's the dog? It hasn't come back yet?"
Shu Mingye narrowed his eyes immediately. "What, you miss the dog already?"
She turned to stare at him. "…Are you seriously jealous of the dog now?"
"I'm just saying," he mumbled. "It sleeps on your feet. I don't even get to do that."
She stared harder. "You're the King of Shulin."
"Exactly. I should have foot access."
She let out a tired sigh and ignored that entire line of nonsense. "Don't you think it's strange?" she asked, her tone shifting slightly, more thoughtful. "My master created that spirit beast using his own spiritual energy. But why would it stay in the forest of Shulin? Why didn't it follow him?"
That made Shu Mingye pause. He sat up slightly, the teasing fading into a quiet hum of thought. "Hmm… good question," he said slowly. "Maybe it has something to do with the demons. Or like you said before, maybe the demons were originally spirit beasts. That's why it couldn't go outside the wall."
Linyue turned her gaze toward the window where faint moonlight spilled across the floor. Outside, the night felt calm, but Linyue's heart stirred with a familiar weight of questions waiting in the dark.
Shu Mingye reached out and gently took her hand. "Don't worry," he said softly. "We'll figure it out together."
And then, because he could never leave a sweet moment alone, he leaned closer and whispered smugly, "After I win again tomorrow."
Linyue didn't even hesitate. She smacked a pillow right into his face. Flawless aim.
Shu Mingye burst into laughter. "Alright! Alright! I won't tease you again. For now." He tossed the pillow aside and kissed her forehead, then pulled her into his arms with a snug, protective hug. "You should rest more, Pie. You just got better."
Linyue sighed. Rest, he said. He was the one who made her unable to rest in the first place with all his shameless teasing and scroll-level nonsense. And now he had the nerve to sound all gentle and noble? But… his warmth was familiar. His arms wrapped around her like a soft blanket. His heartbeat was calm, steady, like a lullaby only she could hear. Her eyes slowly fluttered closed. And this time, sleep came without effort. The moment she closed her eyes, she was already gone. Safe, warm, and still slightly annoyed.
*****
Linyue opened her eyes to a place she had never seen before. The soft bed, the warmth of Shu Mingye's arms, the ruined garden, everything was gone. Instead, she stood in a vast, glittering hallway. Polished marble gleaming beneath her feet. The walls were carved with delicate patterns, and glowing faintly like gold. The air was still, heavy with incense and something older… something sacred.
In front of her was a woman. A very beautiful woman. Stunning, graceful, and somehow glowing with elegance. She wore flowing white robes embroidered with delicate golden flowers. The hem of her robe whispered across the floor like mist. Every step she took looked like she was floating. She looked like a goddess. Peaceful, untouchable, ethereal.
Linyue's jaw dropped. So this was what it felt like to be stunned by beauty. She almost clutched her own chest in shock. Was she… falling in love? Was this a dream? Why was she dreaming of a beautiful woman instead of a handsome man? And more importantly, why didn't she mind?
The goddess-like woman walked slowly down the marble hallway, the golden embroidery shimmering under the light. Linyue could only stare, too stunned to blink.
Another footsteps echoed behind her. Another figure approached the woman from the opposite side of the hallway. A man this time. Tall, graceful, calm. His robes were white too, but embroidered with cranes and clouds, so finely woven they seemed to move with each step. His presence was quiet, but powerful. Something about him made Linyue frown.
He looked… familiar. The robes. The posture. Even the way he walked. It stirred something deep in her memory. Calm, elegant, just the right amount of floaty. Too familiar.
The man called out, his voice smooth and low, "Yun Qi, where are you going?"
Linyue froze.
That voice. It was her master's voice. The calm, slightly lazy tone she had heard a thousand times. Was that really him? Was this a dream? Some strange memory? A heavenly soap opera?
The beautiful woman paused and turned slightly. Her voice was soft and gentle like spring breeze. "I'm going to visit you."
Linyue's mind short-circuited.
Yun Qi? That was the woman's name?
She blinked rapidly. Same surname as me…?
The woman spoke again, her voice still sweet, "Your Majesty, are you not busy?"
Your Majesty?!
The woman called him Your Majesty? As in emperor?! Her master was an emperor? Emperor of what, exactly? Some secret heavenly realm? A hidden library empire? The empire of long-winded lectures and mysterious tea?