Chapter 60: The Most Relaxing Training in History

I arrived at the designated training chamber precisely on time.

Which meant Shen Kexian had, naturally, been there early, already reading a scroll and somehow making stillness look theatrical.

He didn't even glance up when I entered.

"How punctual," he said instead, his voice that maddening mix of smooth and unreadable. "I was beginning to think you'd hide behind another pomegranate tree."

I narrowed my eyes. "Tempting. But I figured you'd find me anyway. Probably disguised as the tree."

He finally looked up. A small smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. "Good. You're sharper in the morning."

"And you're still smug before breakfast. Some things never change."

He rolled the scroll shut with a snap and stood.

"Follow me."

I did.

Reluctantly.

We passed through two corridors, one quiet courtyard, and what I swore was a restricted side hall—until we reached a heavy door with gold lotus engravings and an embroidered banner that read 'Healing Wing.'

He opened it without explanation.

I stepped inside—and blinked.

There were at least eight palace maids waiting. Two carried towels. One held a tray of steaming herbal tea. Another was adjusting cushions on what looked suspiciously like a chaise lounge wrapped in silk and serenity. Incense curled in delicate streams. Bowls of water gleamed under soft lantern light.

"…Is this a trap?" I asked slowly, turning back to him. "Because if it is, I just want you to know I will go down swinging and scented like lotus oil."

Shen Kexian didn't even blink. "You look tense."

"Because you're terrifying and vague and keep popping up like a cursed proverb."

He gestured toward the lounge. "So relax."

I stared at him.

He stared back.

"Is this part of my training?" I asked warily.

"I don't believe you've ever trained properly," he replied. "So yes. This is the beginning."

I glanced around again. A maid smiled gently and motioned for me to sit.

Okay. Suspiciously serene. Possibly enchanted. But also… My feet hurt.

I sat down—gracefully, thank you very much—and immediately a warm towel was placed behind my neck. Another maid appeared with a cup of tea that smelled like heaven laced with dreams.

"This doesn't feel like training," I muttered, sipping cautiously.

Shen Kexian leaned against the far column, arms folded, watching me like he was taking notes for some deeply judgmental novel.

"It's a diagnostic," he said.

"A what?"

"I need to observe you under a non-combative state. No stress. No fight-or-flight. Just… you. Still."

My brow furrowed. "And this couldn't be done in a normal room?"

He gestured vaguely. "Do you look like someone who relaxes in a normal room?"

Touché.

I muttered something impolite and sank further into the cushions.

"If you try to read my aura while someone oils my scalp," I warned, "I will throw this cup."

He smirked. "Noted."

And then he turned away—giving me space, but not his attention.

I leaned back and closed my eyes, not sure if this was a trap, a dream, or the weirdest training montage to ever grace palace history.

But one thing was clear.

Shen Kexian was definitely playing a long game.

And I had no idea what the rules were.

That evening, I was summoned to Yuling's quarters, which was odd in itself. She never summoned me. If anything, I was usually the one dragging her out of bed, bribing her with snacks and threats of fashion disasters.

I expected a girl talk. Maybe some baby nausea drama. What I got was a full-blown council of the suspicious and overprotective.

The moment I stepped through the door, I stopped cold.

All three men were already there.

Lan Wangji, by the window, back straight and robes unwrinkled as ever. He looked like a painting of a dignified storm.

Wei Wuxian, half-reclined across the chaise, snacking on dried plums like it was an interrogation-themed picnic.

And Ming Yu, closest to the brazier, arms folded, lips tight, clearly trying not to pace.

Xiaohua was in the corner, pouring tea like she didn't know something dramatic was about to happen. But even her movements were tense, like she was bracing for impact.

The moment the door closed behind me, the questions came like arrows.

"What happened?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"Did anything feel off?" Lan Wangji's tone was calm—but the kind of calm that made generals nervous.

"Were you in pain?" Ming Yu asked, already halfway to standing.

I blinked. "Hi. Lovely to see you all too."

I sat down beside Xiaohua, who passed me a teacup like I'd just entered a battlefield instead of a living room.

"So what did he do?" Wei Wuxian pressed.

I sipped the tea, letting the warmth steady me before answering. "He… brought me to a room. A very nice room. Full of palace maids."

They were all still.

Lan Wangji blinked once.

Ming Yu looked vaguely like he might combust.

Wei Wuxian tilted his head. "Palace maids."

"Yep. They gave me tea. Laid me down on some silk monstrosity that could swallow a person. Steamed my face. Massaged my neck."

Lan Wangji glanced at Wei Wuxian like his brain had short-circuited.

Wei Wuxian pointed at me with a dried plum. "So… your first day of spiritual training was a relaxation day?"

I shrugged. "I'm not complaining."

"He was in the room?" Ming Yu asked, voice tight.

"For five minutes, tops. Said it was a diagnostic."

Lan Wangji, to his credit, tried to make sense of it. "He's… observing you in a resting state?"

"That's what he claimed."

"And he left you there?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"With herbal water," I deadpanned. "And some very aggressive jasmine oil."

Xiaohua let out a tiny, scandalized laugh and tried to hide it behind her sleeve.

Wei Wuxian just leaned back and said, "This is either brilliant… or complete nonsense."

Ming Yu didn't say anything for a moment. Just watched me.

Then, quietly, he asked, "Did you feel it?"

I knew what he meant.

The headache.

The strange, fleeting pain that always came with Shen Kexian's presence.

I shook my head. "No. Not this time."

His shoulders relaxed—just a little. But I saw it. That subtle breath of relief that slipped through his composure.

He nodded once, still watching me too carefully. "Good."

Yuling sighed dramatically and slumped back into her cushions. "I'm slightly jealous. No offense to the world-changing destiny hanging over you, but I would kill for a day with towels, tea, and someone massaging my feet."

Xiaohua—sitting nearby with her embroidery—nodded fervently. "I'd take that over spiritual training any day. You probably smelled like blossoms for hours."

Wei Wuxian made a face. "I knew I should've crashed that session."

Lan Wangji gave him a look that said do not even try.

I leaned back slightly, warmth creeping into my chest.

For a moment, just a moment, it wasn't about prophecies or trials or mysterious headaches.

It was just us.

A room full of people who were worried about me. Who stayed close. Who still made space for laughter. Even in the palace.

Even now.