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The paperwork was piling up more and more on his desk. He knew he had to start working, or else he'd have to spend another sleepless night making up for the time he'd wasted during the day. He knew he shouldn’t be wasting time. He wasn’t alone in his office—the Ma brothers were there. If he didn’t focus on his work, they would start to suspect something was wrong and begin interrogating him repeatedly until he gave them a coherent and satisfactory answer to justify his absent behavior. But Jinshi couldn’t help it; his mind kept wandering. Or rather, he kept thinking about what had happened the previous night.
Maomao had arrived at his palace the night before. It was something they had begun doing more regularly since their feelings were reciprocated. They did nothing more than eat together and catch up on each other's lives, as both of their schedules were already quite packed.
Jinshi’s workload had decreased considerably after his trip to the western capital and following the Emperor’s recovery from surgery, but there were still nights when he stayed in his office, finishing up the work that had accumulated during the day.
On the other hand, he knew that physicians had some of the most demanding schedules in the court, with only one day off a week. And thanks to the disputes between the factions of the Dowager Empress and Empress Gyokuyou, the workload had increased considerably. This was the case for Maomao, who had already been working for several years as a court lady assisting the physicians.
Despite this, they tried to see each other every few days, ever since the time they ate together after Maomao had been relieved of her duties as part of the post-surgery team. Jinshi began summoning her more often so they could dine together, and that day he realized that there were many more things they could do as a couple without crossing the boundaries he had set himself the night Maomao had arrived at his palace.
Though Jinshi had always been very cautious when summoning Maomao, he understood that sooner or later the court would learn about their relationship. It wasn’t normal for a marriageable lady to be out late at night. It was always Basen or Chue who arrived with the summons and escorted her from the dormitories to his palace. It was only a matter of time before the officials put the pieces of the puzzle together and speculated about why Lakan’s daughter, "Maomao," was constantly visiting the chambers of the Imperial younger brother.
But even so, Jinshi assumed it was inevitable. Still, he had no desire to stop seeing Maomao just because of a few rumors. In fact, each day it became more difficult for him not to see her, and he eagerly looked forward to her visits. And she didn’t seem to mind having to see him either—or at least that’s what Jinshi wanted to believe.
He knew Maomao, or at least, he had learned to read the subtleties of her expressions. In the past, though she never verbalized her displeasure at being summoned, the dissatisfaction on her face was always apparent whenever she was called. But during her recent visits, Jinshi noticed how Maomao appeared increasingly relaxed and content with him.
In these small moments of intimacy they shared, chatting and eating together, he dared to believe that they resembled a newlywed couple, eagerly waiting to hear about each other’s day.
○●○
They had finished eating. They were in Jinshi’s quarters, where he usually had breakfast. He preferred to eat there with Maomao. They had already caught up on court affairs, but even so, it seemed that neither of them wanted to say goodbye.
The sun had set several hours ago. Jinshi wasn’t sure what time it was, but he knew he had to bid Maomao farewell soon. If they kept postponing the inevitable farewell, it would be detrimental to both of their work the next day.
“Don’t you have work tomorrow, Maomao?” Jinshi ventured to ask. He knew he was giving her an opportunity to say her goodbyes and take her leave.
Maomao, on the other hand, didn’t seem to catch Jinshi’s subtle hint and responded in the most nonchalant way possible.
“Yes, tomorrow I’m back at the medical office near the military. It seems they’re short-staffed, and I’ve been summoned to cover that area for a couple of days,” Maomao said, sounding somewhat displeased. Jinshi understood that perhaps being so close to Lakan irritated her.
“Aren’t you tired? Maybe you should head back; it seems like you’ll have a very busy day tomorrow... Let me get you a carriage back to the dormitories.”
Maomao said nothing. He knew she wouldn’t argue, but still, Jinshi could see that she wasn’t happy about having to leave already.
“Is something the matter?” he asked.
“…”
Maomao remained silent for a moment, gazing at the sky through the window in Jinshi’s room. That night, the moon was absent, and the stars lit up the sky. It was a truly pleasant evening, much like the ones they had spent together in the western capital. After a moment, Maomao finally responded.
“No, nothing. You’re right, Master Jinshi. Perhaps I should go now.”
Jinshi was not satisfied. Did I do something wrong? he wondered.
He tried to fix things by reaching for her hand. He didn’t want to part this way. They would see each other in a couple of days, yes, but still, something inside him hurt at the thought of saying goodbye to Maomao like this after such a pleasant night together.
Yet, something made him stop just as he was about to touch her hand. He couldn’t go through with it. If he touched her, it would be much harder to control his impulses. Even the slightest touch would throw him off balance, feeding the desire he had to make her his. And he wasn’t willing to give in just yet. All the effort he had made to restrain himself would crumble if he touched her now. He wanted to be a man who didn’t give in to his urges. He didn’t want to cause Maomao more problems. If something happened between them, there would be serious consequences, and the only solution Jinshi had found was to keep zero physical contact with her.
“Could you stop that already? It’s really starting to get annoying.”
Maomao’s words were like unexpected rain falling on a clear day. It was rare for her to share a piece of her mind like this. In all the years Jinshi had known her, he could count on one hand the number of times she had done something like this.
Even Maomao seemed surprised by what she had said. She hadn’t expected those words to come out of her mouth.
In response, Jinshi pulled the chair where Maomao still sat closer. He wanted to bring her nearer to him. He needed to see her up close. He knew that with Maomao’s sudden revelation, now was a good time for both of them to be honest with each other. He wanted to explain why he was holding back, why he had been rejecting her in this way for months. He didn’t want her to think he didn’t desire her—he had wanted her for years now. Maybe if he expressed this, she would understand the reason behind his evasive behavior in recent months.
“Maomao,” he began, “You know that if I keep going, I won’t be able to hold back any longer.”
“I never asked you to hold back.” She looked at him with a furrowed brow, and in her tone, he could hear just how frustrated she was with his attitude.
How long had she been suppressing her frustration?
Jinshi was increasingly astonished. It wasn’t typical for Maomao to express herself like this to anyone. Could it be that she’s feeling more comfortable with me?
“I told you I could handle it if something happened.”
“I’m not going to allow you that, Maomao. I promised that I would remove every obstacle that keeps us apart. I’m committed to making that a reality, Maomao. I’m not going to lose you over something so trivial,” he replied. “I’m willing to wait as long as it takes to keep you safe. I’m not going to risk putting you in danger because of me.”
“But I don’t want to wait any longer,” she responded, turning her gaze away from Jinshi.
“Maomao…”
“Maybe it’s time to accept your proposal, Master Jinshi…”
He knew what she was referring to. Jinshi had dreamed of this moment countless times. He never thought that after she accepted his feelings, it would take so little time for her to give him an answer to the proposal he’d made several moons ago. He didn’t think he should ask, but something told him to embrace the joy of the words she had just spoken. He didn’t want her to retract her statement, but Jinshi needed to be sure that this was truly what she wanted.
“Are you serious?” he asked.
There was silence for a moment.
Maybe I shouldn’t have asked anything… She’s already considering it, Jinshi thought, as something in his heart began to ache in the absence of her response.
Maomao sighed and looked at him again.
“I’m ready to accept the challenges that will come with becoming your wife, Master Jinshi,” she said softly, with a gentle smile on her face.
“Maomao!” Jinshi looked at her with bright eyes, holding back tears from spilling down his face. He placed one hand on her waist to embrace her, and the other behind her head to draw her closer, so he could kiss her.
He pressed soft, sweet kisses on her lips, which Maomao returned. After a while, she parted her lips and began to kiss him with more passion. Their tongues met and began to entwine, as if in a battle. She tasted like the sweetest fruit, one that Jinshi wasn’t willing to stop savoring. His mind began to blur; he didn’t know how long they had been like this, but he didn’t care—he didn’t want to stop.
Maomao was the first to pull away, pressing her forehead against his, and with slightly labored breath, she said, “There are still some things I’d like to negotiate.”
Jinshi nodded and kissed her again. He led them both to the bed without breaking the kiss. Whatever Maomao’s demands were, he was going to meet them. He had waited so long for this; No mountain's too high and no ocean's too wide to deny her.
○●○
That morning, Jinshi had to leave before Maomao woke up. He had asked one of his servants to go to Maomao’s dorm to fetch a change of clothes for her. Before leaving, he instructed Suiren to prepare a bath and breakfast for her. He would have loved to stay with her until she woke up, but Jinshi had many preparations to make for the day.
He had arranged for a carriage to take her to the medical office.
Usually, Jinshi would request a more discreet carriage for her to keep up appearances, but that morning, he asked for the same one he used. He knew that seeing Maomao arrive in the Imperial younger brother’s carriage would spark even more speculation. If there were rumors before about a possible closeness between them, now it would be seen as confirmation.
Jinshi couldn’t care less about maintaining appearances anymore. Rumors about them had already spread throughout the court, and after what had happened last night, he didn’t want to pretend any longer.
As he recalled the events of the previous night, he realized that if he hadn’t already been a lost man, he certainly was now. He thanked the heavens for having held back until Maomao had firmly accepted his proposal. If something had happened between them earlier, it would have caused great trouble.
Jinshi knew that from now on, there wouldn’t be a day when he wouldn’t show his devotion to this woman.
Reality had far exceeded his expectations. He had imagined that his first time with Maomao would be a magical experience, but it had been so much more. She had led him to taste paradise, and it was something he wanted to experience again every chance he could.
He was intoxicated by her. He remembered every expression she made, how her skin felt, her taste, the sounds that escaped her lips. He longed for the day to pass quickly so he could have Maomao in his bed once more.
“Moon Prince?” Basen looked at him in confusion, as if a question mark were hovering above his head.
Jinshi felt a slight blush on his cheeks. He shook his head to clear his thoughts; he had to get moving and finish today’s work quickly.
He pulled two letters from the drawers of his desk and handed them to Basen, who looked even more perplexed when he saw the recipients.
One was addressed to the Emperor, which wasn’t unusual, as they often exchanged correspondence. The unusual part was the other letter, which was addressed to Lakan.
Basen might have assumed it was to discuss military matters or factional conflicts, but that wasn’t the case.
“Summon the Grand Commander Kan to meet with me after lunch, and also call for Lahan and Dr. Kan,” Jinshi said.
Basen nodded, still with a look of confusion. If Gaoshun had been there in his place, he might have speculated on what Jinshi was planning. But it didn’t matter whether Basen understood or not he would figure it out by the afternoon when Jinshi’s motivations for involving the La men would become clear.
Jinshi sighed as he heard Ba sen’s footsteps fade away. He knew it wouldn’t be a pleasant afternoon. He had summoned Lahan and Luomen because he wasn’t willing to face Lakan without reinforcements. If Maomao had been present, everything would have been much easier, but this time, he wanted to handle it on his own.
He picked up his brush and began working on the paperwork that had piled up, wishing once again that time would fly so he could see Maomao again tonight.