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Maomao wondered if the Gods were out to get her today.
It was supposed to be her day off given that she found poison in Lady Gyokuyou’s food yesterday during dinner.
While she was able to sense the weak poison while it sat in her mouth, Mamao was swift to hurl the poison out of her system (thanks to her most recent concocted emetic agent she made the other day) before she got in trouble for swallowing a poison again.
So today, out of pure obligation, Maomao decided to rest…or at least as best as she was attempting to.
“Maomao, are you awake?” Yinghua asked after knocking on her door.
Maomao scrunched her nose, sitting up from her bed. “Yes, come in.”
“Sorry for bothering you,” Yinghua apologized as she opened the door, “especially when you’re still recovering.”
“It’s alright. So tell me,” Maomao tied her hair up as she got out of bed. “What can I do for you?”
-
Maomao waved goodbye as Yinghua ran back to the Jade Pavilion with the medicine she finished procuring moments ago, hoping it will help Yinghua with her lunar cycle symptoms.
Just as she was about to turn around to head back to her quarters, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Doctor.” Maamao gave a small bow. “What’s going on? Is someone-”
“It’s Maomao!” He cried, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
“What about..me?” Maomao thought for a moment. “Oh, you mean the cat.”
“Yes! She got injured while hunting down a mouse and has this nasty gash on her hind leg and- oh! The poor thing!” He cried, Maomao sighing as the doctor began to sob into his hands.
“Let’s go.”
-
A small cut.
That’s what sent the quack of a doctor into hysteria.
With a quick clean up and a small bandage wrapped around it, Maomao was all set to continue her duties around the clinic.
Just as she was leaving the clinic, Gaoshun appeared.
“Master Gaoshun,” Maomao bowed. “What brings you to the clinic?”
“Xiaomao, are you feeling well enough to be walking around?” Maomao let out a nervous laugh.
“I…am.” She gestured to the other Maomao behind her, who was busy getting spoiled by the still weepy doctor. “But I had to come by to tend to Maomao.”
“Maomao got injured?” Gaoshun asked, walking briskly to said cat, quickly picking her up. “Is she okay?”
“She got a small but on her hind leg, but nothing that required more than a quick clean and a clean bandage. Maomao started. “Master Gaoshun, did you need my help in something?” Maomao asked him, Gaoshun clearing his throat as he handed Maomao back to the doctor.
“Lady Lihua requested a favor from you.”
“A favor?”
“She’d like to get a bottle of that lacquer you used for the manicure you did for her a while ago.”
Maomao hummed.
“I think I still have the ingredients back in my room.” She replied. “I can make her a bottle and give it to you once I’m done.” Goashun gave her a small curt.
“Thank you Xiaomao. I’ll stay here until you finish the lacquer.”
-
Maomao dragged her feet as she made her way back to her room at the Jade Pavilion.
She knew that request was a trap.
The minute Gaoshun returned to the clinic from dropping off the lacquer, he came with news that the rest of the Crystal Pavilion also requested their own bottle of lacquer. So there went Maomao, spending another few hours procuring a small batch of lacquer to satisfy a few of the pompous girls of the Crystal Pavilion.
“I need a break.”
But where could she go where no one would bo-
…
There was one particular place she could go to…even if she wasn’t that content with the person whom the place belonged to.
-
A knock was heard from the other side of the office, Jinshi wondering if Gaoshun was back from the Crystal Pavilion.
As he knew Gaoshun would take a while to be back, Jinishi used the time to lay his head on his desk and slack off for a bit.
“You can enter without knocking, you do-”
Jinshi lifted his head, jolting completely up when he realized it wasn’t Gaoshun who had knocked.
“Apothecary!” Jinshi exclaimed, straightening his back and fumbled as he picked up his abandoned brush. “Wh-” He cleared his throat when he heard how high pitched it sounded. “What brings you to my office?”
“Can I rest here?” Maomao asked, Jinshi wondering if he heard that right.
“Rest- wait. Rest here?” He repeated, Maoamo nodded.
“I know how bizarre it sounds, but,” She placed her hands together and bowed. “Master Jinshi- can I please rest-”
“Apothecary,” Jinishi, hearing his heart beating in his ears. “Not to be rude, but…why here?
“It’s quiet.” She told him, raising her head. “And since this is your office, no one will come here to bother you unless necessary.”
“Gaoshun comes here.”
“He won’t be back for another hour.” She bluntly told him. “Maomao got injured-” Jinshi quickly got up,
“You got hurt?!” He scanned her from head to toe. “Where? How?”
“The cat.” Maomao stressed, almost hissing. “The doctor and Gaoshun are busy spoiling her…” Maomao sighed. “I’ll make sure to leave the moment-”
“You can stay for as long as you need.” Jinshi cut her off, motioning to the bench to the side. “I’ll make sure to not let anyone inside until then.”
“Thank you, Master Jinshi.”
He watched as Maomao made her way to it and sat on the bench, watching as she simply closed her eyes and started to doze off.
She’ll hurt her neck if she goes to sleep seated.
Jinshi got up from his desk and placed a hand on her shoulder, jolting Maomao awake, the girl glaring at him with annoyed eyes.
“Master JIn-”
“You’ll hurt your neck like that. Lay down.” He suggested, watching as Maomao processed his words, probably doubting the concern behind his words. “Or would you rather wake up with a sore neck that will take days to-”
“Fine.” Maomao accepted the suggestion, taking his hand off her shoulder.
Jinshi wondered why she didn’t move despite having taken his-
“Oh, right.” Jinshi said with a laugh, going back to his desk.
As soon as he returned his attention to his paperwork, he saw her lay down on the bench, adjusting her head against her head as she closed her eyes.
A while passed by when Jinishi decided to check on her, noticing she had curled into a ball, a small huff of a laugh escaping him as he took the sight in.
“She really lives up to her name, doesn’t she?”
Jinshi got up and went to his storage room, glad to see he had an old cloak still tucked away in there.
He aired it out before making his way back to the sleeping girl.
He carefully draped it over her, freezing when she pulled the cloak closer to herself, nuzzling into it.
Oh, that was adorable.
Jinshi reached towards Maomao, only to pull back.
Control yourself Jinshi. You know she prefers her boundaries to be respected. Don’t give her a reason to hate you.
Jinshi went back to his desk and returned to his work.
He glanced over to Maomao again, smiling at how peaceful she looked.
This was a small victory for him, one he would cherish.
“Okay then, that’s enough. Let’s get back to work.”