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It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single, handsome oncologist in possession of a mysterious case must be in search of the best diagnostician in the country. And so, Dr. Jinshi Wilson came to the empty exam room to find his dear friend, Dr. MaoMao House. And, of course, she was using the room to secretly do her weird experiments with ancient medicine and poisons. As Jinshi entereds, he noticeds a large, open book— but with a secret box cut in the middle of it, filled with poisonous plants that everyone else knowws she should stop playing with.
Jinshi: So, you keep your secret stash in a Lupus textbook?
Mao: It's never lupus anyway. Oh.. — She paused — You're different today. Are you wearing that shirt for someone?
Oh, he thought. She noticed. It was still shocking how she always caught onto him. He was wearing a nicer shirt today, indeed; only to match his newly bought tie. The only thing she didn't seem to notice, however, was that how it was exactly the same shade of her usual dark-green coat, making it seem like the two were matching.
Jinshi: The health department, actually. — he replied instead. They seem to frown on topless oncology. Hey, be more careful with those poisons, okay?
He reached for her hand, helping her bandage a newly created wound in her forearm.
Jinshi: Maomao, I have a patient for you. 20 year 20-year-old old girl with severe shortness of breath, abdominal pain, a fever, and flushed skin.
Mao: Have you considered she is only flushing because of your pretty face?
Jinshi's heart skipped a beat. How could she say that sort of thing with a straight face?
Jinshi: What a coincidence. Gaoshun asked the exact same thing... But she's had it for months before coming to us, I swear. Her previous doctor said it was just from nervousness. But it has to be something; I think it's connected to the other symptoms. We thought it could be lupus, but… Nevermind.
Mao: Have you tested for allergies?
Jinshi:We have! And all her previous doctors, too. We couldn’t find anything that could explain all her symptoms. Please, Xiaomao...
He finished with involuntarily pleading eyes. Mao knows Jinshi doesn't even realize when he gets that sort of soft look on his face. Well, he knows how to do it intentionally, sometimes, whenever he wants to make patients and nurses fall for him and help him out. But it seems to come out, all of a sudden, whenever he asks Maomao for anything... Or when the two of them are too close together. What could be the reason...? But for one thing, she can't say she doesn't think it must be a useful skill. It seems very helpful to calm down young female patients. Or, to be honest, patients of every gender. All he needs is a nice smile and the spell is done. She never got how it works just like that. But, rationally speaking, he is... undoubtedly beautiful. Who wouldn't be pleased with such a nice, calming view? She realizes she is staring a little too much. He smiles and flushes a little, with the same neediness remaining in his eyes. Oh, she knows any young lady would collapse if they could see his eyes right now; or, rather, the way he acts around her, all the time.
In the end, they both know that pleading isn't even necessary; Jinshi came to her precisely because Mao would never say no to a good mystery. And, to helping out a patient, too, of course.
He stares at her for a while too, as she goes through a mental list of all of the possible ideas. Mao's own face involuntarily starts to flush as well. Could it be a symptom of something I caught just now? Could it be that the disease is contagious? Is that why Jinshi is always so flushed around me lately, too...?
Mao:..Hm, since when have you been treating her again?
Jinshi: Only since yesterday, when she came looking for us.
So, Mao thinks again, there must be another reason for... That. And for that, she meant whatever was going on with Jinshi these days that made him fold so easily; a weird, excessively mellow sort of behavior. His current symptoms seem to be: irregular heartbeat, redness in the face, and enlarged pupils. The most common cause would be lo- Ah, no, no. This isn't important right now. She focuses her attention back on to the patient file in her hands.
Jinshi: Gaoshun assigned me her case. But, well, we couldn't do much without you.
Mao: Okay, I’ll help. Bring me her full history. I will ask Xiaolan and Shisui to do more exams and test for infections. For now, I will have to visit her house and see what I can find for sources of contamination…
Jinshi: I will come with you!
Mao: Oh? I can do it by myself, though.
Jinshi:...Just let me give you some company and help you out, okay?
Mao: Fine, let's go, then.
Maomao shrugs and they leave together. Yet, inside, she can't deny it would make her very much pleased to spend some time with him, too. For some reason, it's always easier when he is around.
-
After technically stealing the patient’s house keys, they both went on to do a thorough search of the place. It was very common, all the usual household things for a normal 20-year-old girl. Maomao was going through drawers full of makeup in a vanity, when she noticed:
Mao: Hey, are you sure she is not only overdoing it with her blush? Look at this. There are, like, 10 different shades and brands in here.
Jinshi: Oh, no, if only anyone had thought of, you know, asking the patient to remove her makeup before the exams, we could’ve saved so much time! Come on. It’s not that. She is a makeup artist, actually. We have asked and she confirmed she hasn’t started using any new cosmetics or anything. — He reached closer and checked the products as well — Everything seems to be hypoallergenic, too. We tested for these substances anyway. Have you found anything else?
Mao: Hm. Nothing useful. You know what, maybe you should test them yourself just to be sure. What about some blush and lipstick again, huh? All the nurses would go crazy over you… I admit, even I loved seeing that.
Jinshi: Hey! — He got flustered remembering that time he had Maomao dressing him up, for an investigation's sake, allegedly. — I- I don’t think it will be necessary.
-
Back at the hospital, Maomao decided to finally go and actually visit the patient. The team had gone through every possibility over and over and written and rewritten symptoms on the office’s whiteboard, yet none of the treatments were working at all. In fact, the patient was now getting worse by the hour. Xiaolan had checked her last and said the redness in her face was spreading to her body as well, and (in Xiaolan’s words) she looked like she had been boiled in malatang. But to Mao’s surprise, as she entered the room, she found the girl had a pale look to her. And the redness seemed almost gone; at least in her face. She almost looked as healthy as ever, only pale and with a smooth skin just like a douyin filter.
Mao reached for the patient’s bed.
Mao: Where is it?
Girl:...What are you talking about?! It's nowhere, I swear!
Mao: So, I figure you at least know you shouldn’t be doing that, huh?
Mao checked every hiding spot near the patient. Inside the bags, drawers, mixed up with clothes… And finally, under her pillow: a tiny makeup container with a white loose powder inside of it. The girl started to explain in a rush — it was just a makeup hack she used since she started doing makeup, a rare antique recipe the concubines used back then, and it was so pretty she couldn’t go without… The doctor said not to use any different substance on her skin, but her friends and family simply couldn’t see her face so red and sickly, you know? So she started using it in the hospital too and… Surely it wouldn’t cause any harm? Except…
Mao:...This is poison.
-
A few hours later, Maomao had already explained everything to everyone. The girl had been accidentally poisoning herself for years, her body was now reacting and her immune system tried to expel it from her bloodstream, which caused the new symptoms. Now they only needed to make sure she would never touch it again and start the right treatment, and she would be fine. Jinshi found her sitting alone in the office.
Jinshi: Poison, huh? Who would guess in the end it was only your favorite subject ever?. Just promise me you didn’t steal that powder for yourself, please?
Mao: Oops, sorry, can’t.
Jinshi let out a sigh. There wasn’t much convincing to be done to stop her from doing those experiments. In the end, all he could do was make sure she also kept the antidotes close. Or even better… Make sure to always stay by her side. Just in case something happens, he thought, knowing it was just an excuse. But for now, it was good. They were together. He could be next to her, see her, help her. They were best friends. Well… — he thought. For now…
Mao: So. Opera on Tuesday?
Jinshi: Already bought the tickets.