Yes. Perfect. That was the safe choice. Totally safe. Nobody needed to know how fast his heart was pounding, or how his palms were sweating.
Song iyu gasped loudly. “WHAT?! Why?!”
Linyue only shrugged. “I told you. It’s his preference.”
He Yuying imdiately choked on his noodles, coughing so hard his eyes watered.
Shen Zhenyu turned his head slowly toward Shu Mingye, eyebrows slightly raised. That couldn’t be right. Who in their right mind preferred ugly faces? Was this so kind of strange royal habit? Or…
Song iyu narrowed her eyes and pointed her chopsticks at Shu Mingye. “That can’t be. Do you really not like beautiful faces?”
Shu Mingye leaned back in his chair, slow and lazy. “It’s troubleso.”
Song iyu slapped a hand to her forehead, groaning dramatically. “I can’t believe this. Sister Linyue, don’t listen to him! He’s clearly confused. Or blind. Or BOTH!”
Shu Mingye didn’t bother explaining. If Linyue got any prettier than she already was? He’d be dood. Absolutely, catastrophically dood. He could already feel the edges of his sanity fraying every ti she so much as blinked. And her attracting more attention? Bad idea. She’d shine like a jewel in a thief’s den. Add beauty on top of mystery? Disaster. Entire states might start fighting over her. So yes. Uglier. Definitely safer. Simpler. He could breathe that way.
Linyue nodded in agreent. “Right. Ugly face, less trouble. Works perfectly.”
Shu Mingye turned to glance at her. She was sipping her tea, eyes lowered. A small strand of hair had co loose near her temple, softening her sharp profile. She looked like a quiet painting—calm, muted… and still the most distracting person in the room.
Shu Mingye’s voice softened without aning to. “I didn’t say ugly. I said make it uglier. There’s a difference.”
Song iyu gawked at him, mouth hanging open. “You’ll regret it one day, I swear!”
Shu Mingye ignored her completely. He already was regretting things, just not the ones she thought. Still, sothing itched at him. So he looked straight at Linyue and asked before his brain could stop him. “How old are you? Are you the sa age as that princess?”
Linyue didn’t even look up. “Twenty.”
Twenty.
Shu Mingye nodded absently. Perfect age—
Wait. WAIT. What was he thinking? No. No. Absolutely not. Delete thought. Burn it.
Without another word, he stood up abruptly, turned on his heel, and walked out of her chamber. The door shut softly behind him, far too polite for the storm in his head. And as usual, no one stopped him.
The room was quiet for a long mont.
Song iyu was the first to speak. “That was strange.”
Linyue nodded, thoughtful. “Yes. Strange.”
Song iyu threw her hands in the air. “Right?! Why would he prefer an ugly face? Who says that with a straight face? Is he cursed?”
Linyue tilted her head slightly. “I ant the spicy dumpling noodles.”
Everyone stared at her.
She pointed at the bowl. “It’s not even spicy. I asked for extra spicy.”
He Yuying, still chewing, raised his bowl slightly. “Well… as long as it’s delicious. And free.”
Song iyu slapped her forehead. “How are you all so calm about this? The King of Shulin just said he prefers ugly faces! Doesn’t anyone think that’s… weird?”
Shen Zhenyu sighed, clearly deciding this was the mont to steer them away from another round of bizarre conversation. “It’s almost Weeping Moon again.”
Linyue gave a quiet nod, already shifting gears.
Song iyu gasped and leaned forward. “Yes, the Weeping Moon! The demon attacks here are worse than in the East, right? Are we going to see one? Are they really as big as houses? Do they eat people whole?”
He Yuying muttered darkly, “Should we just hide in our chambers and pretend to be sick?”
Shen Zhenyu sighed again, the sound heavy with resignation. “It is more dangerous here. But now that we’re already in Shulin… we can’t exactly turn a blind eye.”
Song iyu nodded. “Yes! After all, he did treat us well. And don’t forget—he’s still injured! We can’t just eat his dumplings and run away.”
He Yuying raised a dumpling halfway to his lips, mumbling, “Should we help?”
“I don’t mind killing demons,” Linyue replied, setting down her teacup with a quiet clink.
Across from her, Shen Zhenyu cleared his throat. “Let’s cultivate and train first. Maybe we can borrow the palace training ground. It’ll help us prepare.”
Song iyu instantly brightened, bouncing slightly in her seat. “Yes! I think I’m finally going to break through to the fourth level after surviving that awful haunted cave!”
He Yuying, still poking his dumpling, added lazily, “I should reach peak stage soon… hopefully before the next demon throws a mountain at us.”
Linyue gave a small nod. “Alright. Good luck.”
Slowly, all three of them turned in unison to stare at her.
Song iyu blinked at her. “Sister Linyue, you’ve never trained. Not once. Even back in Xuanyi Pavilion, I never saw you lift a finger unless there was pie to steal or tea to sip.” She crossed her arms. "Unless... you count napping as cultivation?"
Linyue sipped her tea again. “I don’t feel like moving.”
Song iyu gasped. “That’s not fair! I want to nap and get stronger too!”
He Yuying finally looked up from his tortured dumpling and added dryly, “Clearly, we’ve been doing it wrong all along. The secret to power is tea, naps, and stolen pastries.”
Shen Zhenyu, sitting quietly at the side, almost choked on his water trying not to laugh.
Linyue offered her a rare, faint smile. “Then cultivate harder. Be stronger… so you can nap all you want.”
Song iyu’s eyes sparkled. “You’re a genius, Sister Linyue. A lazy, powerful genius. It’s a good thing you’re on our side.”
Linyue nodded, unbothered. “For now.”
He Yuying didn’t even bother looking up from his bowl as he stabbed another dumpling with his chopsticks. “Should we be worried?”
Linyue tilted her head, considering it. “…Maybe.”
Shen Zhenyu let out a long, quiet sigh.
Song iyu leaned closer to He Yuying, her voice trembling with dramatic horror. “We’re dood if she ever switches sides.”
He Yuying popped another dumpling into his mouth and spoke with his mouth half-full. “Then we pretend to be trees and hope she ignores us.”
Linyue couldn’t help it—her lips curved into a small, rare smile before she could stop herself.
They were utterly ridiculous. And sohow… precious. She hadn’t realized it before, not fully. But sitting here, watching He Yuying chew like a lazy panda, Song iyu flailing dramatically with a dumpling in hand, and Shen Zhenyu drinking his tea with silent patience—it hit her.
These three. Sowhere between all the chaos and argunts, they had beco family.
The thought startled her. A sharp ache tugged at her chest, strange and unfamiliar, like warmth she didn’t know how to hold. It spread slowly, annoyingly, until her whole chest felt too tight. She frowned down at her cup. No. That wasn’t it. It was the tea. Obviously the tea. It was far too hot, that was all.
Yes. Definitely the tea.
She set the cup down and spoke softly. “Sister iyu. You don’t have to fight on Weeping Moon.”
Song iyu looked up, dumpling halfway to her mouth, eyes wide with shock. “Why?”
“You can stay inside the walls. Tend to the wounded.”
There was a pause.
“…Sister Linyue,” Song iyu said slowly, her voice trembling as though she were about to burst into tears. “Do you think… I am too weak?”
Linyue shook her head at once. “No. You’re strong. But being strong doesn’t an you have to fight.”
Song iyu blinked. Then she slamd the dumpling onto her bowl so hard it bounced. “So… you think I am strong… but useless!”
Shen Zhenyu leaned forward, his tone steady and reassuring. “You’re the only one among us who can actually treat injuries without making them worse. That’s more important than swinging a sword.”
He Yuying raised his hand lazily. “I can carry the wounded inside. You patch them up. Teamwork.”
Linyue added in her usual calm voice, “Saving lives is more important. There are far more soldiers than physicians.”
Song iyu’s eyes grew shiny, her lower lip trembling.
“Oh no,” He Yuying muttered. “Is she going to cry again?”
“Shut up,” Song iyu sniffled, dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve. “I am having a mont.”
Linyue watched her fondly, her expression softer than usual. “It’s best to do what we can do best.”
Song iyu straightened in her seat, fire returning to her eyes. “Fine! I’ll be the most heroic, graceful, and absolutely stunning battlefield dic the palace has ever seen!”
Shen Zhenyu lifted his teacup, unimpressed. “That doesn’t an you can skip cultivating and training.”
Song iyu gasped, looking deeply offended. “I was having a mont and it just got destroyed like that.”
He Yuying let out a long-suffering groan, leaning back in his chair. “You’ve had like five monts today.”
Linyue could not stop the small smile tugging at her lips. This ti, she didn’t bother hiding it. She let it linger as she watched them bicker like overgrown children, and yet… her chest felt lighter watching them.
Yes. There was hope indeed.
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