Chapter 270. Determination

He leaned closer, his lips brushing her ear. “Your loud companions. Your kind friends. All those people you risked yourself to protect. I’ll send them with you,” he whispered, his breath shaking against her skin. “And then me. You love me too, don’t you? Then I’ll follow. Right after. So don’t you dare think of going alone.”

His throat burned. The last words cracked, raw and helpless. “If you’re going to leave, Pie… then take me with you.”

But she didn’t answer. Not a word. Not even a stir. Only the faint rise and fall of her chest told him she was still here. Even that thread felt thinner now, slipping through his fingers with every heartbeat.

Linyue barely clung to the edges of consciousness. Shu Mingye’s words wrapped around her like iron chains. Heavy, sharp and unrelenting. Each word pierced her heart deeper than the pain in her body. She wanted to speak. To say no. To tell him not to do anything foolish. But her lips wouldn’t move. Her body was too broken, her breath too shallow, her spirit fraying thread by thread.

She knew he meant it. Every word. He would truly do it. If she left, he would follow. And that was what terrified her the most. She wanted to live. To stay. To hold his hand through long winters and watch the plum blossoms bloom again and again. But all she felt now was the tearing storm inside her, her once-steady spiritual energy ripping through her like wild thunder. She couldn’t hold it together anymore.

Warm wetness welled at the corners of her eyes. Her eyelids refused to lift, but tears still slipped free.

Shu Mingye’s breath caught when he saw it, his chest caved in all over again. It wasn’t even tears. It was blood. Sliding red from the corner of her eyes. He reached out quickly and wiped the blood from her cheeks. His fingers were rough. He didn’t stop when it came back again. And again.

His voice came out hoarse, laced with that fragile edge of humor he always reached for when the world was falling apart. “What are you crying for, Pie? Is it because I still haven’t bought you those pies? Or because you finally realized I’m better looking than you?”

His chuckle was hollow, his lips trembling even as he tried to smile. “If it’s the second one, I’ll forgive you.”

More blood trickled down her pale cheek like silent rain. And he wiped it again, stubbornly, as if that could somehow fix her. “Stop crying already, Pie… please…” he whispered.

But she didn’t stop. And neither could he. When at last her body sank into another deep sleep, her breath faint but still there, Shu Mingye stayed a moment longer. His hand lingered against her hair. Then carefully, he laid her down. He rose to his feet. His hands curled into fists at his sides. He didn’t look back. His steps were steady, but each one felt heavier than the last, as if he dragged chains with him. The weight of fear. The weight of love. The weight of knowing time was slipping away faster than he could hold it.

He stopped before Master Tian Mo’s residence and knocked once.

A grumpy voice answered, “Come in.”

He pushed the door open. Inside sat Master Tian Mo, Master Yin Xue, and the others—Song Meiyu, He Yuying, Shen Zhenyu. The air was heavy, quiet. No laughter. No warmth. Even Song Meiyu, who usually filled every space with chatter, sat hunched with red-rimmed eyes, her sleeves pressed to her face.

Shu Mingye stepped inside. He bowed deeply to Master Tian Mo and Master Yin Xue. Then, in a voice low but steady, he said, “Please let me marry Linyue.”

The room, already heavy, turned completely silent. No one spoke. Not even He Yuying, who always had something ridiculous to say. The silence hurt more than shouting ever could.

Finally, Master Yin Xue’s voice cut through. Calm, but distant. “Let’s talk about that when she gets better.”

Shu Mingye shook his head slowly. His eyes never wavered. “No. I want to marry her right here. Right now.”

A soft gasp broke from Song Meiyu. She slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes brimming again. He Yuying, who had been slouched in silence, finally lifted his head. He blinked, confused and dazed, as if unsure he had heard correctly. His jaw dropped open the slightest bit. Shen Zhenyu’s brows knit together, his frown deepening, though he stayed quiet. Master Tian Mo put his teacup down with a loud clink.

Master Yin Xue’s gaze sharpened. This time her voice wasn’t calm. It was pointed, almost cruel. “You’re a king. You could choose anyone. Why would you marry someone who might never open her eyes again?”

Shu Mingye’s eyes narrowed, his voice firm. “She will wake up. Even if she doesn’t, it doesn’t matter. I will still marry her.”

Master Yin Xue let out a quiet scoff. “You say that now. But who knows what will happen in the future?”

Master Tian Mo nodded. “Right. People’s hearts can change. Especially over time.”

Shu Mingye didn’t flinch. His jaw was set, his voice hard. “Mine won’t. I will marry her and only her. No matter what happens. She will be my only wife.”

His tone was firm and his hand clenched by his side until his nails dug into his palm.

Master Yin Xue gave a dry laugh. “How convincing.”

But Shu Mingye stood straighter, his eyes burning. “I swear. I will take care of her, love her, and cherish her. Only her. Always.”

Master Tian Mo tilted his head. “You like her that much?”

Shu Mingye shook his head. “No. I love her much more than that. I would burn the world for her.” His breath wavered, but he didn’t stop. “And she already agreed to marry me. A long time ago.”

He took a shaky breath. “She would want your blessing. That’s why I’m here. But even if you all say no… I’ll still take her back to Shulin and marry her. Even if she’s asleep for the rest of her life.”

The room went silent.

Then came the sound of a sniff. Loud. Wet. Song Meiyu had burst into tears, both hands covering her face. “Aaaah, why are you like this, Demon King! Why are you so stupidly romantic right when I’m trying to keep my makeup from smudging!” She wailed and grabbed He Yuying’s sleeve. “He means it, doesn’t he? He really means it!”

He Yuying blinked slowly at her. “Of course he means it. He’s insane.” He shrugged. “But then again, you have to be insane to marry Sister Linyue. You’ve seen how scary she is when she’s mad.”

Song Meiyu let out another wail and smacked his arm. “This is not the time for jokes!”

Shen Zhenyu’s brows were drawn tight. He was watching Shu Mingye with something between pity and respect, as if the Demon King had finally shown himself as nothing more than a desperate man.

Master Tian Mo finally broke the tension with a dramatic sigh, putting down his teacup. “Fine. If she agreed before, then who am I to refuse? We will prepare the ceremony. But if she wakes up and decides she has changed her mind…” His eyes glinted with mischief. “That will be your problem, not mine.”

Master Yin Xue exhaled slowly. Her usual calm voice barely a whisper. “You’re too stubborn.”

Song Meiyu sniffled louder. He Yuying let out a long sigh and reached into his snack pouch. And for the first time in weeks, Shu Mingye’s lips twitched. Not a smile, not quite. But something close.

The decision was made. Somehow. No one quite remembered how the conversation had ended, only that Shu Mingye had refused to bend, and Master Tian Mo, half amused and half exasperated, had waved his hand and declared, “Very well then, let us prepare a wedding for a bride who cannot say no.”

And so chaos began.