Stay with me!

Yes, Maomao had recognized that she definitely had to apologize to Jinshi. And just after having reached that conclusion, she suddenly heard sounds coming from the hallway, right from the other side of her door, and lifted her cheek from her palm in astonishment, turning her head into the direction of the sounds. Somebody was standing there, without a doubt. And the apothecary already suspected who that mysterious somebody might be. No way! What perfect timing! It was truly as if he had read her mind and promptly headed to her. A real sixth sense! Maomao almost couldn't believe that coincidence. But oh well, that certainly did make things easier, since that meant that she didn't have to spend time looking for him. Maomao stayed seated and kept staring at the door, waiting to hear some knocking and a voice calling her “apothecary”. She waited and waited. But nothing happened. Instead, she eventually heard steps, indicating that the other person was most likely walking away. "Eh? So it wasn't Master Jinshi after all?” However, her sense of intuition told her that it had to be him. Not to mention that she had already learned to recognize the sound of his steps and tell them apart from others'. And who besides him and Suiren would even come to her room, anyway? Maomao's curiosity was piqued, hence she finally got up from her chair and headed to the door in order to check. She opened the door and peeked outside into the hallway. Nobody was there. So the person had already left. How odd… And just as she was about to go out herself and look for the one who had just been there and took a step, her foot suddenly came in contact with something standing on the floor, which made her drop her gaze. It was a gourd. Maomao raised both eyebrows in slight confusion and picked it up. Judging by its weight, it had to be full. With her curiosity growing larger and larger, she opened it and brought it to her nose, sniffing the content. The smell entering her nostrils instantly made her face light up and brought a delighted smile to her lips, with her eyes starting to sparkle. It was wine! But what was it doing there? Still smiling and taking a closer look at the gourd, Maomao finally noticed the piece of paper attached to it. Good quality paper, one of the expensive kinds. There was something written on it. After having cleaned Jinshi's office more than once while he had been working, the apothecary could immediately tell that it was his handwriting. But even if she couldn't, the words themselves made it more than clear: "This is for you, apothecary. Please forgive me!” "I see…” So in other words: he had been feeling guilty as well and decided to offer her a gift as an apology. How very thoughtful of him. The alcohol-loving Maomao already intended to take a few sips then and there, but before the opening of the gourd could meet her lips, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, as she remembered something important. Ah yes, her own apology... she almost forgot. Now that he had made the first step with that gift, it was definitely her turn now. "He couldn't have gotten very far yet!” The apothecary closed the gourd again and started to walk at a swift pace along the hallway, taking the wine with her. She had a plan! After some time, she turned a corner and... sure enough, she spotted Jinshi's back about a dozen meters in front of her. He was walking listlessly with his head down and dragging his feet. The very picture of dejection, as if he had been drained of all his energy. “Master Jinshi! Wait!” The young noble flinched violently and froze in place upon hearing her voice calling him. And after a few moments, he finally lifted his head and slowly turned around. Maomao could see surprise on his face and also something else... was it fear? But what would he be afraid of? Yet he did wait for her. “A-Apothecary…” His voice sounded a bit strained. She slowed down and approached him, holding up the wine gourd. “You have left this just now in front of my door, haven’t you, sir?” “I hope you like it…” was everything he had to say to that, showing her a weak smile. Which was clearly fake. His eyes were still filled with sorrow, and she noticed that he was nervously twisting his fingers. The apothecary felt even guiltier at that sight. Well, no wonder: even though she might seem cold from the outside, her heart was warm and she did have a conscience. "I do, sir. Thank you.” These words made Jinshi leave his fingers in peace and make a few steps into her direction. He already seemed to have calmed down a bit. "So you're not angry anymore?” "Ah, I see. This is probably what he had been worried about," she thought. "No, I'm not. Well, actually, I have a request, sir.” He gave her a questioning, curious look. "Yes? What is it?” Maomao looked up into his eyes and tugged at his sleeve with her free hand. "If you have time, then let's drink this together, Master Jinshi... I think we need to talk.” Since that was the very first time of her asking for a conversation with him on her own initiative, the young noble was taken aback first and didn't reply for a couple of seconds, but then he nodded, composing himself. He looked serious. “Very well. Let’s go to my chambers, then. I have finished work for today.” *** Not a single word interrupted the silence as they walked side by side through the now almost completely dark residence, even though Maomao noticed that Jinshi kept giving her sideways glances from time to time and opening his mouth, but changed his mind each time. It was a bit awkward, indeed, but the apothecary knew that this talk was necessary. And he must be feeling it as well. The atmosphere in his chambers wasn't very different, maybe besides the few candles burning inside and casting their soft flickering light upon the furniture. The diligent Suiren must have lit them when it had started getting dark. Faint moonlight was entering through the windows. Jinshi and Maomao headed directly to the low table the young lord was mostly sitting at when he had a drink. Two cups were already standing on it, Jinshi's own and a second one, used for Maomao's poison testing. The young noble took a seat, and Maomao intended to do so as well, across from him. "No, come here.” She looked up and saw him patting the free spot on the couch right next to him. Maomao shrugged and came over. A few months ago, she would have surely protested that she couldn't sit beside a noble, but they had been sitting so many times next to each other by now that she didn't care anymore, knowing that it was alright in Jinshi's case. And just as she was about to open the gourd and pour the wine into the cups, Jinshi shifted a bit closer, and Maomao suddenly felt his hand carefully seize her bandaged leg and lift it on his lap. Which startled her a bit and almost made her lose her balance. “What are you doing, sir?” "You have to give it a rest, apothecary. Your wound is still healing.” He didn't meet her gaze, looking down at her leg instead. Maomao sighed. "There he goes again," she thought. But since she had decided to be a bit kinder to him, she didn't say anything in the end and just let him do as he pleased. Besides, it was true that she had been quite a lot on her feet that day, and her leg did throb a little. Thus, she just opened the gourd and poured a bit into her cup first in order to test the drink for poison, as always. Having declared that it was safe, she finally filled both of their cups. Jinshi, in the meantime, had started to gently caress her injured leg while watching her in silence. Maomao didn't comment on that, either, having to admit to herself that it did feel nice somehow. She handed him his cup. "Here you go, sir." "Thank you.” He took it and then just stared pensively at the deep-red liquid for a few moments, without drinking from it. Then he took a deep breath and faced Maomao again, who had taken a few sips in the meantime. "Apothecary..." he finally spoke once more, catching her attention, and started to blush, awkwardly avoiding looking into her eyes. “I… I didn't mean to peek, I swear! I really didn't know you were changing clothes.” "Huh?" Maomao widened her eyes in confusion. "Wait... THIS is what you were sorry for?” That question seemed to confuse him now, too. His caresses stopped. "Eh? Is there something else?” The apothecary frowned. So he hadn't even noticed? "I thought it was for being as annoying as you are and constantly nagging me about my wound.” No, she truly didn't mince her words with him. She could see him frown as well. "Damn, now I made him angry. That truly wasn't my intention!" she thought. Indeed, Jinshi was angry. "Did you count the times your wound has already opened up until now!?" he hissed through clenched teeth while poking her cheek with his index finger. Probably to accentuate his words. "If you aren't constantly reminded not to overstrain yourself, your wound will never heal!" He snorted and glared at her, irritated. "So no, apothecary, you won't get an apology for that, I'm afraid.” Maomao shoved his hand away from her face and glared back, casting her own apology aside for the moment. Though not forgetting it. What a stubborn guy. Well, exactly as stubborn as her, one could say. But after some time, his features softened a bit, and he averted his gaze, blushing even more than before. "I... I thought you were mad, because I entered your room while you were... undressing and saw you... uhm, not fully clothed.” Maomao relaxed her face as well upon hearing these words. It was hard for her to believe how such a beautiful man could get so embarrassed by having caught a glimpse of the body of such a plain girl as her. “I don’t really have an issue with you seeing me ‘not fully clothed’, Master Jinshi.” Maomao's voice was perfectly calm. “WHAT?!” He was now so bright-red, his face was almost glowing and staring at her in absolute disbelief with his eyes and mouth wide open. Good that he hadn't been drinking, or he would have probably spit it all out. Maomao found his expression quite funny, to be honest, but she refrained from grinning. It was not the right moment for that. “Remember where I grew up, sir. And I was only in my underwear, not fully naked, so it’s not a big deal." She just shrugged nonchalantly and kept drinking. "Not as if there really was much worth looking at, anyway.” "Ah." Jinshi blinked a few times and then frowned a bit, looking as if he really wanted to disagree, but eventually changed his mind. The apothecary was thankful for that, she didn't want another argument. But… “If I HAD been naked, I would have thrown something heavier at you than a mere skirt,” she grumbled very quietly under her breath. Yes, it was true that she had grown up in a pleasure district and was nothing but a scrawny little thing, but even she had her sense of decency and a certain feeling of self-worth. “What was that?” Jinshi cast her a questioning gaze. “Nothing, sir.” “If you say so…” He finally drank a sip of the wine, looking as if he was deeply in thought. As if something was still bothering him. Maomao decided to ask. "Is something the matter, sir?” Jinshi looked at her once more. “Say, am I really… that annoying?” There were sadness and hurt in his eyes. And the feeling of guilt was promptly back again. Maomao gulped. She really shouldn't have said that before, huh? But there was no going back anymore. Too late to regret. “Yes, you are, sir," she replied, seeing him flinch at her brutal honesty. "You are too overprotective at times, which is becoming too much for me.” The apothecary made a pause and looked into his eyes again in order to emphasize that the words she was going to add were all sincere as well. "But… I guess I shouldn't judge you for it. And I shouldn't have treated you like that. I’m sorry.” There it was, her apology. Finally. Jinshi just looked back at her, in silence. He seemed clearly troubled, perhaps not finding the right words to say. Or at least that was what she assumed. Thus, Maomao cleared her throat and continued. "That's the reason I wanted to talk to you in the first place. To apologize. Master Gaoshun told me how concerned you were and explained to me that you only meant well. That made me realize.” To her surprise, Jinshi suddenly tensed up and widened his eyes, blushing once more, as though she had caught him doing something very inappropriate. She could see a few sweat drops running down his face. "H-How much d-did he tell you!?" "Eh?" Maomao narrowed her eyes in suspicion. What did that reaction mean? Was there something she wasn't supposed to know? "Well, not that much. Actually, just that you slept in my bed that night, and only because I asked him." Jinshi gulped in shock. "A-Are you mad about that?" "Do I look mad to you, sir?” "No," he admitted and, seeing that she truly didn't seem angry, eventually let out a sigh of relief. "No, you don't.” Maomao reached out to touch his hand that was holding his cup. "Your hand is trembling a bit, Master Jinshi. Please be careful not to spill the wine.” “Ah, alright…” He took a sip. "And yes, I did. I did sleep in your bed. It... It just happened. You said you were not mad, but still... sorry for that as well…” Jinshi directed his gaze at her leg again that was still resting on his lap and started to absent-mindedly massage it once more with his long, warm fingers. Maomao found that he looked like a lost child. “Don’t be, sir. You let me sleep in yours, after all.” After that, there was silence. Maomao emptied her cup and poured herself another one. Jinshi had barely touched his. "What a shame," she thought. "It's such a good wine.” "Uhm..." she suddenly heard his voice again. "What is it, Master Jinshi?" "Well... I... guess you're right. About me being overprotective, I mean." "Oh?" The apothecary was a bit puzzled. He admitted it for real? He started to carefully trace circles with his index finger on her leg and continued. "You are right. But, you see... I’m not used to worrying so much about another person. This is the first time, and it’s all new to me. I don’t really know how to deal with it.” Maomao stared at him, incredulously. They had indeed more in common than she thought! “And I really meant what I said that day, you know,” he finally muttered, looking into her face once again. “Be more careful in the future. Please.” The apothecary just looked back, without giving a reply. She wasn’t sure whether she should really tell him that, if a similar incident should repeat itself, she would definitely save him again, even at the risk of him suffering a heart attack afterward. That was another reason why she hadn’t been able to give him that promise he had asked for during the hug a few days ago. And to be honest, she, once again, couldn't even explain why she would. Maybe it was the hope that she would be promised another rare medicinal ingredient if she did. Or maybe something else. Something she really didn't want to think about. But whatever, she should better keep that to herself in order to not upset him again. What a blessing that Jinshi couldn't read her thoughts! So instead of answering with words, Maomao continued drinking and shifted even closer to him, leaning against his arm. Hoping that it was enough to reassure him, to make him understand that he really didn't need to worry. She could feel him tense up for a second and then relax again, placing his cheek on top of her head in the end. Maomao didn't object, finding herself being enveloped by his already familiar and pleasant sandalwood scent yet again and feeling his long hair slightly tickle her face. He didn't say anything, either. But there was no need to speak, for both of them already knew that they had forgiven each other. It was one of these rare moments of them understanding one another without words. Everything was peaceful and quiet. As if the world stood still outside these very chambers.