"Don't pout," Shu Mingye said, eyes narrowing. "It's lethal. I won't be able to focus. I might roast the angry cabbage by accident."
Linyue muttered, "Still flirting at a time like this…"
Behind her, one of the cabbages let out a growl and started to chew his restraints.
Shu Mingye's eyes shifted to another angry cabbage across the room. This one was growling louder and staring directly at Linyue. "I'll take that one."
"Be careful," she replied, her tone softer with a hint of worry.
He reached out and laced his fingers through hers, holding her hand firmly. "I'll be fine," he said in a quiet voice, "as long as you're by my side."
Across the hall, Master Yin Xue sipped her tea and raised an eyebrow at the scene. "How romantic," she commented dryly.
A few young physicians hiding in the corner were whispering furiously.
"Who is he? Are they dating?" one asked.
"No, he probably just flirts like he breathes," another whispered back.
"But he held her hand—"
"Shh, the cabbage is growling again!"
Linyue sighed, adjusted her sleeves, and let lightning crackle at her fingertips. "Alright. Focus. Let's fry some vegetables."
What followed could only be described as chaos. Lightning spiritual energy crackled across the room. Smoke curled toward the ceiling. Someone coughed. Someone else fainted. Master Yin Xue, of course, simply sipped her tea across the hall.
By the time the last cabbage-person was properly electrocuted—"treated"—Linyue let out a long, soul-deep sigh. Her shoulders drooped. Her sleeves were slightly singed. Her hair might've been frizzed at the ends, but she refused to check.
Shu Mingye hadn't let go of her hand even once. He was observing her, worry shadowing his expression. He hadn't expected it to be like this. The array hadn't just fought back. It had tried to dig into his mind, wrapping around his memories like poisonous vines. For one terrifying moment, he had almost lost himself. But then he felt her hand, cold and steady in his. Still cold. Still her. That was all it took for him to break free.
He destroyed the black thorn trying to bind his soul and returned to her side. Still, the experience left his thoughts foggy and heavy, like someone had poured sorrow into his head and stirred. He tightened his grip on her hand.
Linyue noticed. She turned her head to look at him. "Are you okay?"
Shu Mingye raised an eyebrow. "That should have been my question."
Linyue gave a tired half-smile. "Of course I'm fine. Just a bit tired."
Master Yin Xue finally set her tea down and strolled over. "That's enough for today. You two should rest. There are still plenty of angry cabbages waiting to be roasted tomorrow. Prince Lu will deliver them fresh in the morning."
Linyue gave a weary nod. "Alright. Let the cabbage show continue."
Behind her, one of the unconscious cabbages twitched in his ropes, as if offended.
Shu Mingye muttered, "Next time, I'm locking her in a room with no vegetables."
Without waiting for protest, he scooped her up sideways and started walking out of the healing hall. He headed straight for her chamber. Or their chamber. At this point, the space was suspiciously split in personality. One side was cold, neat, and smelled faintly of tea. The other side was warmer, scattered with an alarming amount of extra clothes in his size.
Linyue was too tired to protest anyway. Her limbs were heavy and her head was spinning slightly. She simply buried her face against his chest, her cold fingers clutching at his robes.
As they reached the chamber, Shu Mingye glanced down at her. "Do you want to bathe first?"
Linyue narrowed her eyes instantly. The last time they shared a bath… the water had gotten very steamy, and not just because of his fire spiritual energy. She gave him a pointed look.
Shu Mingye caught it immediately. His lips curved into a small smirk, his voice low and amused. "Just a bath. Unless… you're hoping for more."
Linyue answered very fast, maybe too fast. "Just a bath is fine."
Shu Mingye chuckled quietly, clearly entertained. "I know. I was just teasing you."
Linyue let out a long sigh. The worst part was knowing he really was teasing. No other man could roast vegetables and her dignity in the same day so effortlessly.
Later that night, they did take a bath together. And shockingly, it was just a bath. No sly hands, no suspicious fog buildup, no mysteriously vanishing towels. Shu Mingye behaved so well she started wondering if he had been infected by angry cabbage. Afterward, he even dressed her gently, tucked her into bed, then wrapped himself around her like always. And as usual, she fell asleep with her cold nose squished into his chest.
The following days turned into a strange blur of screaming vegetables and smoke. Prince Lu sent angry cabbages from every corner of Luyan as if his personal mission in life was to turn the healing hall into a vegetable prison. Meanwhile, Master Tian Mo worked to roast the cursed books, looking far too delighted every time a page burst into flames.
Linyue spent most of her days channeling lightning until her arms trembled and her hair frizzed like a hedgehog. Her mental energy was long gone. At this point, she was running purely on willpower, tea, and Shu Mingye's disapproving side-eyes every time she yawned too hard.
Shu Mingye, on the other hand, stood beside her like an immovable statue of handsomeness. No complaining. No signs of fatigue. Just focused eyes, controlled fire, and that usual quiet protectiveness. He didn't even sweat. Not fair. And because he stayed strong, she stayed strong too. Because he was there, she could keep going.
Until the seventh day.
That evening, Linyue face-planted into the bed. Arms spread, hair sticking out in all directions. "The angry cabbages have won," she mumbled into the mattress. "I am defeated."
She hadn't seen Song Meiyu, He Yuying, or even Shen Zhenyu in days. Her chaos family was out there somewhere probably hiding from vegetables too.
Shu Mingye sat beside her, stroking her head gently. "Pie, are you okay? If you're that tired, you should rest. I've trained my spiritual sense properly now. No more accidental cabbage barbeque. I can take care of the rest."
Linyue groaned and rolled over, looking up at him with tired but stubborn eyes. "No. Let's do it together."
Shu Mingye smiled softly. "Alright. But if one more angry cabbage tries to bite you, I'm roasting it and its entire field."
Linyue gave a sleepy snort. "Good. Burn them all."
The next morning, Linyue dragged her half-soul out of bed with Shu Mingye's help (read: he carried her like a tired dumpling). She yawned all the way to the healing hall, expecting another round of crispy cabbage duty. But the moment they stepped in, Master Yin Xue stood there, sipping her tea with suspicious excitement.
"I have good news," she said cheerfully.
Linyue blinked. "Is the cabbage farm on fire?"
"Even better," Master Yin Xue said, setting her cup down. "There are no more angry cabbages to treat."
Linyue's eyes lit up. "Really?"
Master Yin Xue nodded. "Yes. Last night, the wall was attacked."
Linyue's smile immediately vanished. Her eyebrows furrowed. "By demons, right?"
Master Yin Xue gave a slow, meaningful nod. "By demons… and angry cabbages."
There was a long pause.
Linyue frowned harder. "Wait. What does that even mean? The angry cabbages attacked the wall?"
"No. The demons attacked the wall. The angry cabbages ran loose inside the city and attacked anything with legs." Master Yin Xue took another sip of tea, far too calm for someone talking about a vegetable uprising.
Linyue asked slowly. "You're telling me… last night, we had chaos outside and a salad riot inside?"
"Exactly," Master Yin Xue nodded. "The palace guards fought the angry cabbages. Prince Lu and the others fought the demons outside."
Linyue turned slowly to Shu Mingye. "We missed a cabbage apocalypse."
Shu Mingye's expression didn't change. "Good."
Linyue turned back to Master Yin Xue. "The others… they're okay, right?"
Master Yin Xue's face turned more serious. "Yes. But this attack was different."