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The sound of somewhere tiptoeing through the bushes made Jinshi and Gaoshun stop on their tracks. In the dead of the night, no one except the palace guards – or ladies-in-waiting, if any concubine had either an emergency or an urgent request late at night. Though neither the guards nor the ladies-in-waiting needed to go hiding in the bushes.
“Gaoshun.” Was the only word Jinshi spoke, his voice a whisper.
With a nod, Gaoshun was stealthy as he got close to where the sound came, spotting someone with a weak yet half-maniac laughter as they picked some herbs from the ground. It didn’t take a lot for him to recognize Maomao’s greenish hair and odd mannerisms when it came to anything which had to do with poison or any kind of potential medicine.
“Xiaomao?” Gaoshun carefully tried to catch her attention.
Like a cat who had just been caught doing something it shouldn’t, Maomao froze, carefully turned around, a handful or plants none of the men knew the name of. “Good night.” She said as casually as the surprise allowed her to.
“Apothecary.” Jinshi blinked, not surprised at all to see her dirty hands full of herbs. “What are you doing here this late at night?” Despite his crossed arms, his tone was more concerning than anything else.
“I have a little headache and needed some ingredients to make herbal tea for it.” Maomao shrugged. “That’s all there is to it.”
“Still, you could’ve–” Jinshi’s ears picked up on several voices from behind them and acted quickly. “Come here.” He whispered, gesturing Maomao to walk in front of him.
“What for?” Maomao frowned a little, not completely distrustful but still a little wary.
“Can you just do what I say?” He insisted, a little urgency showing in his tone then.
The moment Maomao was in front of him, Jinshi was quick to put off the small candle he was holding and gave it to Gaoshun before using one of his hands to pull her close to him. That way, she wasn’t visible for anyone who saw him from behind. Maomao quickly understood his move, not wanting to be seen outside that late either, so she complied.
While Maomao tended to shy away from many of Jinshi’s attempts at any physical contact, she realized the sensation running through her body wasn’t discomfort. The closeness felt odd, but not unwelcome. Jinshi’s body felt extra warm against the coldness of the night, his hand on her back to keep her body close to hers, his heart hammering against his chest.
Perhaps he’s just tense because he doesn’t want to get caught trying to cover for a servant. Maomao thought. Though he feels too warm, more so than a healthy, non-feverish body.
They stood in silence as Gaoshun made small talk with a couple of ladies-in-waiting – they didn’t properly hear whatever he told them, something about Jinshi needing some fresh air, and soon after, the two women left without approaching him. Both Maomao and Jinshi let a relieved sigh, staying still until Gaoshun was back by their side.
“Xiaomao, you really should go back to your–” Gaoshun struggled to find the appropriate word. Room? Cabin? Previous storage room? “Sleeping place.”
“I will, apologies for causing trouble at this hour.” Maomao inclined her hear as she used to do in front of high-rank people, her long sleeves covering part of her face. “I already got what I need anyway.”
Jinshi sighed, resigned but still amused. “Gaoshun, you can retire for today, thank you for today.”
“Master Jinshi–”
“Please.” Jinshi insisted. “I’ll walk the apothecary back to her room.”
The last look Gaoshun gave Jinshi before retiring after a brief head inclination looked nervous, as he was worried Jinshi would do or say something he shouldn’t. Once he left, Jinshi’s lips curved into a smile as he began walking side by side with Maomao. She looked at him from the corner of her eye, suspecting he might want to tell her something, but he didn’t.
“You really don’t have to waste time with this.” Maomao was the one breaking the ice then.
“You’ll need some coverage if someone else sees you.” He tried to sound convincing.
“I doubt the same trick works twice.” She sighed, her eyes not meeting his. “Gaoshun isn’t here to keep others away from us.”
“Then let’s be quick.”
Fortunately, Maomao and Jisnhi didn’t run into anyone else, getting to Maomao’s sleeping place of choice. It didn’t matter how many times Gyokuyou’s ladies-in-waiting had insisted her to find somewhere else to rest, Maomao was happy with turning the storage room into somewhere she could keep and experiment with her plants and also sleep in.
“Thank you for walking me.” Maomao finally turned her head to the side, meeting her gaze meeting Jinshi’s, one of her hands blind but successfully opening the door.
“If I’m not being too intrusive, may I come in for a it?”
“Asking to get into a woman’s chambers in the middle of the night is wildly inappropriate, Master Jinshi.” Maomao’s tone wasn’t suspicious or seductive, she was simply stating a fact.
Jinshi couldn’t help a chuckle, first because the place Maomao willingly slept in could hardly be qualified as chambers, and second because he was very aware of the impropriety of the situation. “No one’s around to see.”
Maomao realized insisting would be of no use, so she just left the door open once she got inside the place, hearing Jinshi closing it behind her. “Is there something I can do for you?” She asked as she lighted a couple of candles.
“I was going to ask you the same thing, actually.”
Maomao blinked. “I don’t understand.”
“You said you weren’t feeling well, didn’t you?”
“Ah, the headache.” Maomao gave him a weak nod. “What about it?”
“You should lie down and rest, I’ll make it for you.” Jinshi went straight to the point.
Still standing, unsure of what to make of the situation, Maomao found herself wanting to know if there was any meaning behind his actions. “You don’t have to bother with that.” She started. “I’m used to taking care of myself.”
“I insist.” Jinshi, indeed, insisted. “You’re taking care of everyone all the time.”
“Because that’s my jo–”
“Apothecary.” His tone became a little serious then, the smile on his face more commanding than friendly. “Tell me how to make the tea you want and wait for me on your bed.” Realizing his last words could be misunderstood, he cleared his throat, the seriousness in his tone replaced my nervousness. “I mean, I’ll bring the tea to your bed.”
“I understood.” An unfazed Maomao replied, a little curious about Jinshi’s stubbornness just because of her little headache. “Fine then, I’ll give you some instructions.”
Jinshi was a quick learner, paying close attention to Maomao’s words and instantly getting to it. He didn’t take longer than ten minutes to pour the hot liquid on a small cup, blowing until it cooled down a bit. With Jinshi the cup in his hands, walking until he reached Maomao – who had already changed into her nightclothes and was sitting on the bed.
“Here.” Jinshi waited until Maomao took the cup.
“Thank you.” Maomao took a couple of sips and was ready to take another, stopping when she realized Jinshi stood a couple of meters away from the bed, his expression calm, his gentle gaze on her. “You should go back to your own room if you’re tired.”
“I will.” Jinshi nodded. “You know, you could’ve asked me.”
“About what?”
“If you’re feeling ill, I could’ve sent someone else to help you.” Or I could’ve just done it myself, thought Jinshi, thought he had done just that. “Do it next time.”
“Is it an order?”
“Yes.”
“Fine.” Maomao looked at the half-empty cup in her hands before her gaze met Jinshi’s.
Maomao felt like if she repeated for the fifth time that he didn’t need to, Jinshi might just become frustrated again. She understood where he was coming from though, she helped others as well if she was given the chance to – she had done so multiple times. Maomao wished the well-being of people who deserved it, and she knew Jinshi did too.
Despite his tendency to annoy her from time to time, Maomao knew Jinshi had inherent goodness in him. His fairness and kindness towards the ones who deserved it showed not only in his words, but on his actions as well. He was a bit too intense sometimes, in Maomao’s opinion, but that was just part of his character – and ended up quite liking that.
“Better?” Jinshi broke the silence.
Maomao nodded. “A bit.”
“Tomorrow morning, I want to report how you’re feeling to me personally first thing in the morning.” The order almost seemed like a request due to Jinshi’s kind tone.
“I will.” Maomao hesitated before voicing her next words. “Thank you for taking the time to look after me, Master Jinshi.” Her lips curved into a small, sweet smile. “Have a good night.”
Jinshi was grateful he was far away enough from the light of the candles to avoid Maomao seeing the slight shade of pink growing on his cheeks. “You too.” And with his heart hammering because of Maomao again, Jinshi left for the night.