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Maomao’s annoyance over being forced to overhear Jinshi’s meeting with Gyoku-ou’s brother soon gave way for an uneasy confusion. There was something so unsettling about the way Jinshi knew how to take control of a situation. If only he showed these skills more often, then he wouldn’t be in this predicament.
But politics was a subject that Maomao did not care for one bit. Instead, her mind went back to his so-called charging earlier. He knew how to trick her too, and she hated that. Her hand was tingling even so long after he’d pulled away; the red marks he’d left there still visible.
She couldn’t wait for this to end so she could go back to the medical office. But after Dahai had left, Jinshi came in behind the curtain where she and Chue were having their snacks. “Miss Chue, could you give us a moment, please?” He asked, not giving the lady-in-waiting a chance to say anything.
She stood, practically giggling. “Of course, sir!” She all but skipped her way out. “Miss Chue will be around, not listening! Call me if you need me!”
Maomao glared at her as she left. If she won’t be listening, then how will she hear if she’s called?! Her suggestive smile sent a rush of anxiety all over Maomao’s body. First the hand holding, and now whatever this was.
Jinshi sat on the chair Chue had vacated. “Tea, sir?” Maomao asked, because she figured that was the correct thing to do. Surely her etiquette lessons had nothing to do with that thought. He shook his head. “How about a mooncake?”
He smirked, though the smile did not meet his eyes. “No, thank you, I’m all charged up.”
She glared at him. Trickster. How many more would be victims to his unsuspecting charms? The way her body had reacted to him holding her hand made her angry. Maomao had always thought she was better than that. “I gather the man you were speaking to is the help Gyokuyou told you about?”
She had no desire to extend on this topic, but she had a feeling that if he wanted to speak to her alone, it could only mean a worse kind of trouble. “Yes. He has been a great help, although it would not be a good look for a younger brother to go against his elder without a good reason.” It sounded like he spoke from experience. If only he knew… “But that matter is all but settled.”
“Is it?” Maomao finished drinking her cold tea.
“I wish to speak of something else.”
The frown on his beautiful face made him look far too scary. She suddenly remembered she had somewhere else to be right now. “Well, if it’s not an urgent matter, perhaps we could speak later. I’d like to go back to the medical office.”
She couldn’t risk leaving the quack alone for too long. Jinshi only kept glaring at her, so she tried her luck. “If you’ll excuse me, sir.”
She stood, but he took her by the hand and forced her to sit back down. “Not so fast,” he said. “I believe we have an unfinished matter, no?”
His tone was odd, and Maomao blinked. “What about, sir?”
“About that man.”
“You mean Master Rikuson?”
“Ah, so you do think of his name, even when I haven’t even given any details on whom I was speaking of?”
Maomao scowled at him. “It’s usually polite to memorize the names of people you work with, sir.”
Jinshi narrowed his eyes at her, leaning ever closer. “That is not something you concern yourself with.”
It was true, but it wasn’t like Maomao ignored everyone on purpose. Only sometimes. Besides, she did not find Rikuson to be overly irritating, and he was a rather easy to remember character with his dandy personality. It was rare for people to be both in her view.
“I recall the names of many people,” she said.
Jinshi was pouting now, and he took in a breath. “And I seem to recall this Rikuson was the man you danced with at the banquet last year. Do you remember this?”
Ah, yeah. To be honest, that was not the part of that night Maomao had kept in her mind, but now that he mentioned it, she did recall it. “Yes, that happened.”
“You claimed it had been payment for a drink. And that it had been cheap.”
Maomao honestly did not even remember that. All she recalled about that night and Rikuson had been his warning about the import she’d been wearing on her head – Jinshi’s hair stick. It had been so long ago she’d completely forgotten the context. “It was a cheap price. I’m not a good dancer.”
Jinshi’s expression continued to sour. “And you seemed unusually eager to go speak to him on that day you requested to go see to the wheat harvest.”
She sighed. As if it had been a bad thing for me to be there! “As I’ve mentioned back then, I was curious about how the wheat was growing.”
“So you were. But I remember quite clearly how enthused you were when you learnt that he was going the same way you were. You expect me to believe it was all because you wished to save on resources?”
That was one of the reasons, as she’d already told him. But she had also wanted to speak to him about his odd connection to the villages. She still did not understand what his goal had been, for it seemed he was doing much more than merely solving the problem Jinshi had given him.
“I also wished to speak to him about work matters,” she said, hoping the truth would suffice. She could only be so lucky, though.
“Work matters?” Jinshi practically growled. “I’ve also been made aware of the fact this man calls you by your name. Why is that?”
“Because I asked him to.” Rikuson had been far too formal with her in the past. It was rather uncomfortable, and Maomao had questioned his motives for doing so back then. He was one of the freak strategist’s subordinates, after all. Addressing her in such a manner could only imply Rikuson saw her as a member of that clan of eccentrics.
Which Maomao was not, of course. That should be a known fact by now.
A vein threatened to burst out of Jinshi’s forehead. Maomao felt the urge to run a finger through it, urging him to relax. It will do him no good to stress about this. “And now this same Rikuson has proposed to you,” he said. “And you want me to believe he meant it as a joke?!”
Maomao sighed again. Dealing with Jinshi in this state was certainly tiring. “I cannot tell what he had in mind, but I’m inclined to believe it was a joke.”
Jinshi’s fist hit the table. Maomao was not fazed by it. “Why do you think that? Why would anyone propose to you as a joke?!”
“I can’t say, sir.” She noticed he was looking more and more dejected. “If it makes you feel any better, I did not think it was a funny joke.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Because you wish it wasn’t a joke?”
What Maomao wished was that she could go back in time and never listen to Rikuson’s proposal. This was turning out to be more trouble than it was worth. All she’d wanted was to find out what he had been doing going to those villages, for she still wasn’t sure he was being truthful about how much he knew.
Perhaps Maomao should continue to mind her own business. Even if this whole thing had been on Jinshi’s orders.
So in a way, this was his fault. “I’m not sure why you’d think that,” she answered.
Jinshi’s gaze was becoming rather feral. “So you wouldn’t be happy if that man actually meant his words?”
Maomao had never even considered Rikuson in such a manner. If she were being honest, he was a little too old for her, and there was something off about him she couldn’t quite put her finger on. He might be mature and intelligent, and he had many other positive traits that Maomao was sure would make him a good husband.
But not for her. Maomao didn’t know what she wanted in a husband, but she was sure it wasn’t that.
Come to think about it, who would she pair Rikuson with? Maomao placed a hand on her chin. Maybe Hongniang could be a good match…
They were both of a similar age; both still single. She was from the Western capital, and he’d been spending an awful lot of time here. Maomao was certain Rikuson’s mild-manner nature could be a good, gentle balance to Hongniang’s sometimes explosive demeanor. He had always reminded Maomao a little of Gaoshun, and she knew well of Hongniang’s doomed crush on the guard.
“That’s way too long to ponder such an easy question!” Jinshi said, pulling her out of her daydream.
“I apologize, sir, my mind went somewhere else for a moment.”
He looked like he was about to cry. “Where did it go?”
He almost looked like he wanted to go with her. Strange, strange, strange man… She figured she had better be honest for once. “I was thinking of who could be a good match for Rikuson. I was thinking Hongniang, but I’m not so sure.”
Jinshi still had that pout on his face. He shouldn’t make this face in public. Others would certainly think he was far too childish. Since his public perception was already inexistent, he should avoid making things worse. “I don’t want you near him.”
Maomao sighed. “If my work does not intersect with his path, then I have no reason to be near him.”
“Good, because I don’t like him.”
“I don’t think he’s that bad once you get to know him.”
Jinshi slammed his hand on the table again, his other going to his forehead. “Maomao, do you not understand?!”
“Understand what, sir?” She was simply looking at things objectively. Maomao was not a person who needed romance, as such, so it was easy for her to analyze potential matches from a practical standpoint. I should start a matchmaking side business…
Take Jinshi, for instance. He’s had his fair share of women bounced around as potential wives for him. Maomao had tried to consider it, but in her unbiased opinion, none of those women would be a good match for him in the long run.
Lishu had been too immature to handle him. Even if Maomao had once thought she could have grown into such a role, now she realized that Lishu could never be savvy enough to navigate the toll that came with being Jinshi’s wife. Not to mention how hard it would be for her to deal with his sometimes juvenile behavior.
All the other young ladies from that banquet looked equally unprepared to deal with him when he got into one of his moods. The girl who had been sent to the rear palace was probably a nice young lady, but certainly too aware of her position as a pawn to become a woman he could like.
Jinshi could be so much trouble. A sheltered lady from a good family would never be able to handle him. What would they even talk about? Maomao couldn’t picture any of those girls navigating a conversation such as the one they were having right now. Much less being able to indulge him whenever he wished to talk through work issues out loud, as he often did with Maomao.
She couldn’t imagine any of them being capable of keeping up with him. None of them could ever give him what he would want from them.
In Maomao’s objective opinion, there was no woman out there good enough for Jinshi. Hopefully things would stay that way. He certainly couldn’t marry with that branding on his flank. Maomao would hate it if he got married to some random young lady under these conditions.
Jinshi stared at her instead of answering, his eyes watery and far too intense. “Goodness, young master, look at the time!” Maomao turned to find Suiren peeking her head through the curtain. “You should send Xiaomao home for now, for there is much to do today.”
Maomao would pretend she didn’t find it weird that Suiren was the one saying this, and not someone like Gaoshun or Taomei. It’s almost as if she’d been listening in… She wouldn’t put it past that cunning old lady.
Regardless, Maomao appreciated the out. Jinshi sighed. “Sure, you are dismissed.”
She stood, bowing at him and making to walk away. She predictably found herself being held back, and suppressed yet another sigh. “What is it, Master Jinshi?”
His hand was on hers again, his long, manicured fingers tracing patterns on her palm. Maomao feared the warmth she felt on her cheeks was stamped far too clearly on her face, so she didn’t turn around.
Jinshi didn’t say anything, only squeezed her hand harder. It did not hurt, for he was not applying that much force. Maomao realized then she could run off whenever she wanted, and he wouldn’t chase her. But for some reason, she liked the way his hand seemed to envelop hers.
He gave her hand one final squeeze before dropping it. “Thank you, Maomao. You can go now.”
Maomao scurried out of the room, her eyes fixed on the floor, her face burning. She had no clue what he could have been thanking her for, and she did not wish to find out.
But the way both Suiren and Chue had matching grins at her as she left did not give her any comfort.