A thick cloud of white smoke poured out the moment the door creaked open. Shu Mingye staggered back, coughing, eyes watering. Then he shoved himself inside anyway. One arm covered his nose and mouth while the other flailed uselessly in an attempt to wave the haze away.
"Pie?" he called out. His voice was half-choked, half-panicked. "Are you okay?!"
Through the fog came a calm reply. "Yes."
Then a pause.
"Mostly."
Shu Mingye pushed forward, guided by her voice. The smoke swirled around him, clinging to his clothes and hair.
"What are you doing?" he demanded, his tone sharp but laced with worry. "After failing to burn down the library, are you trying to burn your chamber now?"
From somewhere in the middle of the smoky chaos came her answer, followed by a small cough. "Just… a failed experiment. Nothing burned. Yet."
The "yet" did not help his blood pressure. Through the haze, he finally spotted her figure standing near the open window. He marched over, wrapped his arms around her from behind, and lifted her clean off the floor. Then he carried straight out the window. Yes. The King of Shulin. Carrying a person through a window. Gracefully.
Outside, they both drew deep breaths of blessedly clean air. Behind them, smoke still poured from her chamber.
Shu Mingye stayed silent at first. He held her gently at arm's length and studied her from head to toe.
Eyes slightly red. A few small coughs. A smudge of soot against her white robes. But no burns. No injuries.
He let out a long, quiet sigh. Still, he had to ask. "Pie, were you hurt?"
Linyue looked up, blinking her teary eyes. Her expression was calm, though her voice was a little hoarse. "No, no… just a little bit of failed experiment and smoke."
"A little bit?" Shu Mingye repeated, his eyes flicking toward the thick smoke still rolling out of her window. "Pie," he said, "in my palace, we breathe air. Not smoke."
She nodded seriously. "The smoke wasn't supposed to happen."
"Mm." Shu Mingye pressed his fingers to his temple. He was trying very hard not to panic. Or laugh. Or sit down in the courtyard and weep. "What did you do this time?"
"I read something interesting in the library," Linyue said as she brushed a streak of soot from her sleeve. "And I wanted to give it a try."
His brow twitched. "What is this something interesting?"
"Array."
He stared at her. "Array?"
"Array," she repeated.
Shu Mingye exhaled slowly. "Pie, array is dangerous. It's old. Forgotten. Most people don't touch it for a reason."
"Exactly," Linyue replied with proud logic only she could pull off. "That's why I want to try."
There was a long pause. A bird chirped somewhere in the distance. Smoke continued to billow behind them as if determined to prove his point.
Shu Mingye rubbed his face and muttered, "This is how my hair's going to turn white early."
Linyue tilted her head, completely unfazed. "I think you would still look good."
Shu Mingye stiffened. She looked entirely innocent, blinking at him with her usual unreadable expression. "You are doing this on purpose," he whispered, his eyes narrowing.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said lightly, before coughing again and dabbing at her watery eyes.
Shu Mingye sighed and reached out, brushing away a lock of hair that had stuck to her cheek with soot. "Next time, warn me before you summon a smoke demon in your chamber."
She nodded seriously. "I'll write a note."
He gave her a long, dry look. "So, where's my daily report?"
"It's… somewhere…" Linyue gestured vaguely toward the window, "in the smoke."
He raised an eyebrow. "In the smoke?"
"Mm-hmm."
Shu Mingye leaned in close, his voice low and warm as it brushed her ear. "Have you forgotten?"
Linyue took a small step back at once. His breath had passed a little too close, and her ear felt uncomfortably warm. Her heart, the traitor, gave one overly eager thump.
"Of course not," she replied quickly. "I was going to report! I just thought you were busy. So I… responsibly decided to wait. Very considerate of me, actually."
Shu Mingye hummed, soft and amused. Before she could retreat again, his arm slid around her waist and pulled her back without effort. "Is that so?" he murmured, his voice still amused, though his eyes were sharp and far too close for comfort.
Linyue, who was normally unshakable, glanced toward the window. The smoke was thinning now. A perfect escape route.
"Oh," she said a little too brightly. "The smoke's almost gone! We should go inside! Very safe now. Very air-friendly."
She tried to take a step back. His arm, solid and annoyingly warm, held her exactly where she was.
"No need to rush," Shu Mingye said in an easy tone. "I am still waiting for that report."
Linyue stammered, "Um…"
Then Shu Mingye leaned closer, close enough that the warmth of his breath brushed her ear, and suddenly remembering the report became the least of her problems. "Actually, I heard something… very interesting. My shadow guards told me you got a lot of marriage proposals the last time you went to the border. Is that true?"
Linyue blinked, caught off guard. They reported that too? Why did it feel like she had done something wrong when she hadn't? And why did it feel like a wrong answer might land her in deep trouble?
She thought carefully, choosing her words. "Um… that… I rejected them all."
He raised an eyebrow. "How?"
"Of course, I politely said no."
Shu Mingye's smile turned dark and dangerous. Jealousy simmered hot and visible in his eyes. "Really? I thought you told them you were married."
Linyue nodded slowly. "That… is true. Well, it was the reasonable thing to say in that situation."
"To who?" Shu Mingye's voice dropped lower, sharp and pointed.
"That…" Linyue's gaze flicked to the open window. She weighed her options for a brief, treacherous moment. Would climbing back inside look ridiculous? Almost certainly. Would it be safer than answering him? Also almost certainly.
She turned back to face him. Unfortunately, he was still there. Still far too close. Still unbearably handsome. And still waiting for her answer.
Just as Shu Mingye opened his mouth, most likely to say something dangerous and inconvenient, a voice called out from inside the chamber.
"Sister Linyue? Where are you?"
It was Song Meiyu. And for the first time in her life, Song Meiyu's loud timing was perfect.
Linyue's lips curved into a serene smile. "We have a prior engagement," she said sweetly. Then in one swift move, she ducked under his arm and hopped through the window.
She landed lightly inside. The smoke had mostly cleared now. It still smelled faintly of regret and failed experiments, but at least the air was breathable.
"I'm here," Linyue called, walking toward Song Meiyu.
Song Meiyu spun around, her eyes wide. "What happened?! Did something burn?!"
"Nothing burned," Linyue said with a straight face. "Just a small error in judgment… on my side."
Song Meiyu grabbed her by the arms, eyes scanning her from head to toe. "Are you okay?? Did your eyebrows survive?!"
"Yes. I'm fine. Both eyebrows accounted for. Where are the others?"
"Maybe arriving soon. But more importantly—!" She leaned in, her voice suddenly serious. "I received a call from Master Yin Xue."
Linyue's eyebrows actually lifted at that. "You did?"
Before Song Meiyu could answer, a loud thud came from behind them. Both women turned at the same time.
Shu Mingye had re-entered the room through the window. Like it was a normal doorway.
Song Meiyu let out a sharp scream and leapt back a full step. "WHAT IS HE DOING THERE?!"
Linyue calmly reached out and patted Song Meiyu's arm. "Ignore him. He thinks windows are doors now."
Song Meiyu stared at Linyue, then at Shu Mingye, then back at Linyue. She nodded gravely. "That makes sense."
Behind them, Shu Mingye's eyes narrowed into a sharp, royal glare.
Song Meiyu immediately looked away and found the teapot on the table fascinating. "Ah yes. Very good tea. Excellent, really. Nice weather too. Love the breeze coming from… the window-door."
Linyue let out a quiet sigh, choosing to ignore both of them. "So, what did Master Yin Xue say?"