Linyue moved away instantly. Or at least she tried to. Unfortunately, she seemed to have forgotten who she was dealing with. Shu Mingye's arms locked tight around her waist. He didn't even flinch. To him, it was like holding a very stubborn pillow that simply needed extra hugging.
There was no chance of escape. Absolutely none. Now her ears were burning too. Wonderful.
Shu Mingye looked far too satisfied. His grin stretched lazily across his face as he leaned in closer. This time his lips brushed the edge of her cheek. Warm. Bold. Unfair.
"So," he murmured, voice smooth and smug, "is it good?"
Linyue's fingers twitched. She took a slow breath, then she quietly scooped up a handful of warm water and splashed it across his face.
He turned his head a second too late.
Splash.
Water hit him perfectly, sliding down his face in slow, mocking drops. Shu Mingye blinked once, then twice, as if trying to process the fact that his future wife had just thrown warm water at him in the middle of what he clearly thought was a romantic moment.
Linyue tilted her chin proudly, completely forgetting one tiny but very important detail. She was still very much trapped in his arms.
"Is it good?" she asked sweetly, trying her hardest to sound smug.
For a moment, Shu Mingye just stared at her, water dripping down his sharp features. Then he grinned, slow and dangerous. The kind of grin that said she had made a terrible mistake. His hand slid lower, landing somewhere that made her inhale sharply.
"Good," he said simply, his voice deep and pleased.
Linyue froze. Every single thought in her head exploded into incoherent static. She no longer knew what to do with her hands, her face, or her entire life. A sound almost slipped out of her mouth, but she bit it back and glared up at him with all the dignity she could scrape together. It lasted about three seconds. Then she sighed, utterly defeated, and slumped against his chest. Her head rested on his shoulder as if she had resigned herself to fate. Clearly, she was never going to win against this smug and utterly shameless Demon King.
Shu Mingye leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. "Careful, Pie," he murmured, the words dripping with smug amusement. "You might end up teaching me that bad behavior gets rewarded."
She made the mistake of looking up at him. His grin was pure satisfaction, his eyes holding that infuriating mix of affection and mischief, as if this moment alone had made his whole week. She decided to bury her face against his neck and sigh, accepting her doom.
Shu Mingye chuckled, low and pleased. He pressed a light kiss to the top of her head and whispered near her ear, voice soft and teasing, "Giving up already? I haven't even started yet."
Linyue didn't bother to answer. She let out another quiet sigh and closed her eyes, sinking deeper into the warm water. The heat seeped into her bones, and so did the steady warmth of his body against hers. It was unsettlingly perfect. Peaceful in a way that made her want to stay there forever.
Shu Mingye stayed silent too. His fingers slid slowly through her damp hair, each movement unhurried and gentle. The rhythm was almost hypnotic, making her eyelids heavier with every pass. Her thoughts began to blur, drifting like leaves on a quiet stream.
She wasn't sure when he carried her out of the bath. She didn't notice when he dried her hair or dressed her in fresh robes. Time had folded in on itself, warm and hazy. The next thing she knew, her eyes opened to find herself already in bed. Her face was pressed against his chest, his heartbeat steady beneath her cheek. It took her a slow, drowsy moment to realize she was not only still in Shu Mingye's arms, but she had somehow ended up practically draped over him. One leg was thrown across his waist. Her arm was wrapped around him like she had been trying to keep him from escaping in the middle of the night.
Her face warmed instantly. She tried to pull back, only to find his grip tighten in his sleep. Of course. The man had reflexes like a predator even when unconscious.
She paused, debating whether it was worth the risk to escape and possibly wake him, or just pretend to be asleep until he let go on his own. That was when his voice, low and rough with sleep, brushed against her ear. "You can sleep more, Pie."
Her heart skipped. He hadn't even opened his eyes, yet somehow he still sounded smug.
"I've slept enough," she murmured, aiming for calm and composed but missing by a fraction.
He loosened his hold, just enough to tilt his head down and catch her gaze. His eyes were still heavy with sleep, his voice quiet. "It's still early."
She glanced toward the window. Sunlight was streaming in, bright and unashamed. "The sun is already shining so brightly."
Shu Mingye smiled, eyes crinkling with amusement. "So?"
"Beauty sleep's over," she said seriously.
That made him chuckle. "You don't need beauty sleep."
"I know," Linyue said at once. "But I still want it. I'm greedy."
Shu Mingye laughed, clearly delighted. "Dangerous. It'll be a problem if you get any prettier than this." He leaned in close, his voice a teasing whisper near her ear. "It'd be better if you were greedy for me instead."
Linyue gave him a long look then said honestly. "…I already am."
Shu Mingye smiled so wide it almost hurt. His Pie was too cute when she admitted things like that.
Linyue raised an eyebrow. "And it'll also be a problem if you get any more shameless than this."
Shu Mingye didn't even blink. "But you like it."
Linyue tried to keep her face serious, but a traitorous smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "See? Shameless."
He leaned in closer, eyes gleaming with pure mischief. "And you still like it."
This time she could not hold it in. A soft laugh slipped out, light and helpless. "Fine," she said, poking his chest once. "I like it."
Shu Mingye's grin stretched even wider. "I know."
Linyue tilted her head, studying his infuriatingly pleased expression. "So… can you let go now?"
His arm tightened instead, drawing her even closer until she could feel the steady beat of his heart against her cheek. "Mm. No."
Apparently, she had forgotten exactly how "reasonable" this infuriating handsome king could be. She tried to wiggle free without looking like she was trying to wiggle free, which was about as successful as wrestling a wall. A warm, breathing wall that apparently thought she made an excellent pillow.
"I need to get up," she said flatly.
"I don't," he answered, voice lazy and deep.
Linyue narrowed her eyes. "We've slept enough."
"Not enough," he murmured, his tone dropping lower, slow and smooth. "You're soft, sweet, and within kissing distance. Why would I let go? And if you keep moving, I'll start wondering if you're trying to tempt me into another round."
She stared at him for three seconds, realized she had absolutely no counterargument strong enough to handle that level of shamelessness, and groaned in defeat. Her head dropped back to his chest.
Shu Mingye's grin stretched wider, satisfaction glowing in his eyes. "Good Pie."
The two of them stayed like that, tangled in blankets and each other. Linyue told herself she was only resting for a moment. Shu Mingye, on the other hand, looked perfectly content to stay there forever, clearly convinced that letting go of her would be a crime against comfort.
Chaos couple: affectionate, shameless, and absolutely thriving.
After a while of peaceful cuddling and teasing, Linyue stretched slightly and tried again. "I'll go back to my chamber and meet the others."
Shu Mingye did not loosen his hold, but after a moment, he gave a small nod. "Alright."
She slipped out of his embrace and climbed out of the bed, already reaching for her outer robe when his voice stopped her.
"Pie," he called lazily, propping his head up on one hand, his eyes glinting with mischief, "you really need to learn more."
Linyue paused and turned to look at him. "Learn what?"
He gave a dramatic sigh. "Not even a kiss? Not even a goodbye? Just leaving me like this?"
She blinked, clearly unimpressed. But she walked back to the bed, leaned down, and pecked him lightly on the lips. "Goodbye, my adorable future husband."
Shu Mingye stared at her for a full second. Then his heart skipped a very obvious beat. She walked off as if she hadn't just turned his brain into mush, while he lay there smiling like a complete fool, hand over his chest. Absolutely ruined.
Linyue ran off to her chamber. Her steps were light, her heart warm and oddly floaty. She hadn't felt like this in a long time, not since she left everything behind. She had forgotten what it was like to feel full and loved. To feel soft. To feel like someone's "Pie." And of all people, it had to be the shameless, annoyingly handsome Demon King who brought it back.