The woman on the ground was glaring at them, her hair a wild mess, and her eyes blazing with fury. Her sharp gaze locked on Shu Mingye, or more specifically, on the way he still had an arm looped around Linyue's waist. Her expression twisted into something between outrage and pure disbelief, like she couldn't decide whether to start screaming or faint from offense.
Linyue's mind worked quickly, cold and precise despite the chaos still buzzing in the air. Shu Mingye had told her Princess Han was indeed in Shulin. What she could not understand was why the woman had done all this. If she was the puppeteer, that meant she was the one who had carried out the experiment beneath the doll store. That would explain the woman's handwriting on the scroll they had found there.
Song Meiyu, however, was clearly on a very different track. She gasped loudly, hands flying to her mouth. "Princess?! She is a princess? Are you sure? Princess of what exactly?"
He Yuying tilted his head in mild interest. "Maybe the princess of nightmares."
"That would explain the creepy doll store," Song Meiyu said, nodding seriously like she had just solved an important mystery.
Shen Zhenyu pressed his fingers to his temple and closed his eyes. He was clearly done with this group's logic and priorities.
Linyue ignored everyone else. She shifted slightly under Shu Mingye's weight, steadying him with one hand, and glanced at him. "Do you have anything to say to her?" she asked. "You really need treatment."
Before Shu Mingye could get a word out, Princess Han exploded. "I should have killed you sooner, you ugly woman!" she screeched, her voice slicing through the air.
Linyue tilted her head toward Shu Mingye. "Is she actually your secret lover? Mistress? Or perhaps… your ex-lover? Should I leave you alone with her?"
Song Meiyu gasped so hard she almost swallowed her own braid. "What?! Is that true?"
"That would explain their similar aesthetic preference," Linyue added thoughtfully.
Shu Mingye let out a low sigh. He had no idea what she meant by aesthetic preference, and he certainly had no idea how this had somehow become mistresses and ex-lovers. "Stop saying something so ridiculous."
"Well, that would also explain the previous bride's mysterious death," Linyue said without changing her tone.
Shen Zhenyu nodded once. "You're right. That's possible."
Linyue thought for a moment, then turned and extended her hand toward He Yuying.
He Yuying blinked once. Then let out the deepest sigh his soul could manage. "Oh no. Not again."
With a resigned look, he reached into his robe and pulled out the very long needle they had taken from the underground lab earlier. Linyue accepted it without a word.
Song Meiyu gasped, clutching Shen Zhenyu's sleeve as if bracing for disaster. "Wait—are we doing acupuncture again or intimidation? I need to emotionally prepare for either."
He Yuying didn't even blink. "Maybe neither. Maybe she's trying to sew her mouth shut."
Shen Zhenyu gave them both a flat look but kept quiet. His eyes stayed on Princess Han, almost fascinated as the woman's face drained of color.
Princess Han's eyes went wide, panic flashing across her expression. "You! Where did you get that?!" she demanded, her voice breaking.
Linyue smiled sweetly. "Obviously, I didn't get it," she said lightly. "I stole it. From your… artistically decorated home."
The needle gleamed faintly in the light as Linyue rolled it between her fingers, almost lazy, almost playful. It was a small motion, but Princess Han flinched as though the air had turned colder.
Shu Mingye, still half draped over her, let out a low chuckle. Rough, tired, but undeniably amused. She had just confessed to theft as if it was a polite hobby. And what was that about artistic decoration? That part almost killed him from curiosity alone.
Princess Han's face twisted, disbelief and fury crashing together. "You… how can you… be alive?! How did you get out of there?!"
Song Meiyu shot her hand up. "I bit his leg!" she announced, full of pride.
He Yuying, completely straight-faced, added, "And I held on to the other leg. Very heroic of me."
Shen Zhenyu turned his head away, one hand rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I don't remember anything. I think I hit my head."
Linyue tilted her head, her tone thoughtful. "I might or might not have accidentally or intentionally blinded him."
Shu Mingye burst out laughing. Well, as much as his injury would allow. What kind of answer was that again? Accidentally or intentionally? And why did it sound like both?
Before he could drag more details out of her, Song Meiyu cheerfully betrayed Linyue. "Sister Linyue poked his eyes. So it was not an accident!"
Linyue didn't bother denying it.
Still leaning against her, Shu Mingye tried to hold back his laugh. A bad idea. Pain shot through his chest, forcing him to suck in a sharp breath. If he really laughed out loud now, he might cough himself straight into the afterlife.
She really had a thing for poking people's eyes. But the joke faded from his mind almost instantly when the thought of her being in danger earlier crept in. His faint smile disappeared completely.
Then Boyi's hurried footsteps echoed across the courtyard as he came sprinting over, eyes wide with panic. "Lord! Please, let me take you for treatment!"
Shu Mingye didn't even glance at him. "No need. Go away." His voice was flat enough to end the discussion before it began.
Boyi blinked, clearly confused. "But… Lord, you're—"
"Go." Shu Mingye cut him off, his tone sharp.
Linyue sighed. Somehow, the sound managed to be both graceful and full of irritation. "Do you really want to die so badly? Why don't you just go back with him?"
Shu Mingye's answer came without hesitation. "You take me."
Song Meiyu leaned closer to Linyue, eyes wide and sparkling with mischief. "Sister Linyue, leave it to us! Better take the Demon King back before he bleeds to death."
He Yuying added helpfully, "And haunt us later. He seems like the type."
Linyue's sigh deepened. "Alright." She handed the long needle back to He Yuying.
Shu Mingye's voice came next, low and hoarse, but still stubborn even through exhaustion. "Do what you want to do. I'll be fine."
Boyi's voice cracked as he took a step forward, panic dripping off every word. "Lord… please! You need treatment now!"
Linyue did not even glance at Boyi. Her attention was on Princess Han instead. Best to hurry before the stubborn Demon King actually dropped dead right in front of them.
"I read a little about your amazing method," Linyue said in a calm, almost pleasant voice. "Should we try it?"
Princess Han flinched so hard it was a wonder her hair stayed on her head. "What? What are you trying to do?"
"Whatever you were doing down there." Linyue nodded toward the doll store's direction.
Princess Han's eyes bulged. "No! No way! You can't!"
Song Meiyu grinned and elbowed He Yuying.
He Yuying added in his flat tone, "We can. We read it."
Shen Zhenyu crossed his arms and raised a brow. He knew Linyue was saying that to confirm she was the one behind the experiment down there. So he played along. "We're quite eager to test our understanding. Shall we begin the demonstration now?"
Princess Han tied-up arms flailing wildly and her legs kicking uselessly against the dirt. "No! Stop! I'm warning you! I—I'll scream!"
Meanwhile, Shu Mingye's vision was starting to blur. He didn't understand what they were planning to do, but he knew it sounded dangerous, especially for Princess Han. He had lost too much blood. His eyelids felt heavy. To stay awake, he bit his tongue hard. The pain grounded him, barely.
Linyue glanced sideways at him. "What are you going to do with her?"
Shu Mingye's voice was quiet and rough. "I'll let you decide."
That almost made Princess Han nearly burst a vein. She glared at Linyue like she could burn her alive with just her gaze. "You! You! Don't you dare—!"
Linyue let her gaze wander across the courtyard. Soldiers were everywhere, hauling the wounded, cleaning blood off weapons, and dragging broken limbs into piles. Shu Mingye's arm around her waist was trembling, his strength clearly running out. He needed treatment immediately.
"He said I get to decide."