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Chapter Text

XIAOLAN POV

Xiaolan dragged herself through the laundry area of the rear palace, lugging an impossibly heavy laundry basket with her. The heat was beating down on her, as she pulled a hand free from the basket to wipe her forehead. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to block her gaze from the sun. She was going to die form heat stroke at this point!

She'd been sold to the palace by her parents for around two years now. As a mere servant, she was assigned to laundry duty. Though it was fairly boring, she still had a lot of fun on the job. As the extroverted optimist she was, Xiaolan became friendly with most of the serving girls early on. 

Xiaolan scurried to a random girl, holding up a note from her basket. "'Scuse me! Do you know what this says?" She asked the girl, with a warm smile and a booming voice. Since she herself was illiterate, asking girls around to help her read things had become a norm.

The girl tenderly took the note from Xiaolan, observing it with her eyes squinted. "I think this place is to your right. It's up past Master Jinshi's office." Her face flushed when she uttered the beautiful eunuch's name. Xiaolan chuckled playfully as her friend began fawning.

"I'll try to get a peek!" Xiaolan joked, but she was also being literal. She, like all the other serving girls, was interested in knowing what the man everyone praised was up to. She hurried off in an instant.

-

After delivering the clothes for what seemed like forever, Xiaolan turned around to leave. She walked slowly, pacing her steps with the sound of the wind. She watched the flower bushes dancing, the sun gleaming, and smiled to herself. The rear palace sure was beautiful. Admiring the view made her feel sort of lonely though. Even if she had all of these friends, none of them were too close to her to the point where she could title them her "best friend." But there's no time to sit around moping! Get yourself together! She thought to herself as she slapped her cheeks. Then, she heard some voices, two of them, coming from one of the offices she was passing.

"This is no coincidence. Both Lady Lihua and Lady Gyokuyou's babies have fallen ill along with them recently. We have to find out the reason for this as soon as possible."

"I understand, but not even the doctors at the medicinal office could figure it out. We may have to give up on it entirely."

"And give up four lives?! Are you mad?!"

"I'm afraid it may be what has to be done."

Without thinking, Xiaolan barged in the room, flinging the doors wide open. She saw Master Jinshi, sitting at a desk with a man she guessed was his assistant. The men looked at her as if she was crazy.

She was in too much of a hurry to blush over the alluring purple haired man, so she got straight to the point.

She took a few raggedy breaths, her hand still holding one of the doors wide open. The other had slowly creaked itself shut again. She then shouted with a determination she never knew she had in her: "I think I know someone who can help!"

Chapter Text

XIAOLAN POV - FLASHBACK (1 Month Before being Sold Off)

Why would her parents send her out here on such a crowded day? Xiaolan asked herself, as she squeezed her way through the busy streets of the Red Light District. She was asked to deliver some crops from her farm at home to some person she didn't know, and she had already forgotten most of the information about said person. She accepted, knowing that her family already struggled from poverty, and this was the least she could do to help.

The Red Light District was much different than at home. She was dropped off, so she was now on her own. She would get picked up in an hour or two, so she had time to kill. The area was very vibrant and busy, vendors all around along with many businesses booming. Xiaolan was in awe of the view, walking slowly to take it all in for as long as she could. Her bangs swished in the breeze, itching at her forehead. 

A man bumped into her, and Xiaolan stumbled back. Before she could do anything, the man shouted at her.

"Watch where yer going, kid!" His voice was slurred, was he drunk? He angrily balled up his fist, and Xiaolan watched him walk off in the most uneven direction she'd ever seen.

She contained her laugh, knowing she might get into trouble if she expressed it. 

The darker back allies, trash littered all over like a dump, had made the place seem more sketchy. But the lights made it prettier! The beauty competed with the environment in a way that worked effortlessly. The air smelled like fresh food on the grill, which made Xiaolan's mouth water. 

I wonder what life's like here... It looks much more interesting than back in the country. She thought, letting herself daydream for a moment.

Apparently, she shouldn't have done that. Someone bumped into her so hard she fell to the ground. The lights and noise blared into her brain as she tried to regain her balance. yet, she couldn't. She felt her eyes stinging before they brimmed up with tears that spilled down her face. Through her watery vision, she looked at her knee. It was scratched roughly by the pavement, dark red blood slowly slipping out. 

What am I going to do now? I can't deliver the crops, I've been injured, I'm screwed! She wallowed in her self pity until she heard a voice from above her.

"Are you alright?"

She looked up nervously, bracing herself for the horror that may appear above her.

A cold face greeted her. A girl with dark green tinted hair, vibrant blue eyes, and freckles covering the bridge of her nose was looking down at her. Her gaze was cold as ice, almost as if every face she made was calculated, yet her tone was gentle. The girl ducked down a bit to Xiaolan's level on the ground. "Here, let me help you to somewhere safer."

Xiaolan sighed a sigh of relief. It wasn't a drunkard, but only a girl who looked around her age. She was swiftly pulled up from the pavement, and dragged into a little shop. The shop had plants everywhere, practically infesting the area. It was like a life-sized terrarium. It also had a heavy scent of herbs.

"Dad, I'm back." The girl was directing her words to an older man who smiled warmly at her.

"Did you bring a friend?" He asked, taking a glance at Xiaolan's tear stained face.

"She got injured outside on the streets. You know how it gets." The girl grimaced at her last sentence before she looked at Xiaolan. "Take a seat, I'll be back."

Xiaolan sat down on the ground and watched with wonder as the girl sorted through her drawers. She heard a sigh of relief, as the unknown girl pulled out a tiny tin container. 

"What's your name? I'm Xiaolan." Xiaolan suddenly piped up, trying to make small talk.

"My name?" She raised an eyebrow and walked closer to Xiaolan. "I'm Maomao. Keep your leg straight and still."

Xiaolan did exactly as asked, as Maomao wiped the blood off her leg gently with a towel before rubbing a clearish yellowish ointment on it. "This will help prevent your cut from getting infected." She paused, "Say, you don't look like you're from around here. Are you visiting?"

"I'm running an errand for my parents. We have a farm up in the country, and I gotta deliver some stuff. But... I sorta forgot all the info about who it was..." She averted Maomao's gaze.

Maomao let out a small laugh. "How do you forget something like that?" She asked, regaining her composure. "You know what? I'll sort it out for you."

"Really? you'd do that?" She leaned forward, gratitude clear in her eyes.

"Sure. I have nothing better to do. Plus, I'd do anything to get a few seconds away from the old hag..." She neatly bandaged Xiaolan's wound as she spoke. She tried to sound indifferent, but it was easy for Xiaolan to see through.

"Old...hag?"

"Nothing!" She said, a smirk remaining on her face. 

"You're funny, Maomao! We should be friends." Xiaolan smiled a soft smile at Maomao, who looked a little shocked at first.

"Even if we probably won't see each other again?" the suspicion leaked through the freckled girl's voice. The look she gave Xiaolan looked like straight up doubt. Clear as day. 

"Even if." Xiaolan remembered that she still had a lot of time. She didn't want to go back to sinking in the wave of civilians again, so she came up with an idea. Her eyes brightened as if an imaginary light bulb flicked on above her head. "Hey! We should go get some treats! I could smell some really good grilled food out there!" 

Maomao looked like she would rather die. Her face looked like a grumpy cat's.

"Come on, Maomao! Pleeease! There were these juicy skewer looking things that looked reaaaaally good!" She pouted, stretching out her words in a whiny tone.

Maomao wasn't buying it.

"Just go, Maomao. Just stay safe." Maomao's father suddenly peeked into the conversation. 

Maomao only scowled, realizing she was cornered. "...fine."

Was her father her weak point? Xiaolan kept that noted.

-

When they got to the the stands, Maomao insisted they had to get some chicken skewers. It seemed to be a favorite of hers, and Xiaolan wasn't complaining. They tasted delicous, like a burst of flavor exploding in her mouth. Plus, as they are, Xiaolan ended up learning a bit about Maomao.

Turns out, her dad was a local apothecary to the Red Light District, and Maomao was a dedicated apprentice. Every time medicine or poison was mentioned, it was as if Maomao's whole character changed. She would get giddy and rant until Xiaolan drove the conversation in a different direction.

She also worked at the Verdigris House. Yes, the one and only Verdigris House.

For context, the Verdigris house is a popular brothel, which is known for its three princesses. These three are Pairin, Joka, and Meimei. You have to pay an arm and a leg to even get one sip of tea with them!

Maomao was a courtesan there as well, which was really out of character for her. Maomao looked more like the kind of girl who would sit inside blowing things up for fun, not drinking tea. But Maomao emphasized that nobody really visited her for personal purposes.

Saying Xiaolan's jaw dropped is an understatement. It was more like her jaw fell off the hinges and flew off from shock.

"No need to look so surprised..." Maomao muttered, clearly regretting sharing that comment.

Before Xiaolan knew it, she had to return home. 

"Looks like I have to go..." Xiaolan said to Maomao sadly, looking at the sun, which was now setting. She suddenly felt teary eyed as she let out a sniffle. "I hope I'll see you again."

"I doubt that." Maomao's pessimism slipped out.

"Maomao! Not helping!" she pouted.

"I was kidding!" She raised her hands in mock surrender. "And by the way,"

"Hmmmm?"

"I guess I'll be your friend." 

Xiaolan smiled widely, and pulled Maomao into a hug without hesitation. "Thank you, thank you! We're best friends, got that?" 

"Yep... got that." Maomao was trying to pull free from Xiaolan's tight grasp, struggling to breathe. 

Xiaolan finally let Maomao go and waved sadly before leaving. 

The truth is, both of them got their first real friend that day. 

-

"A...courtesan?" Jinshi asked once Xiaolan summed up her story.

"Yep yep! She knows a lot about medicine and all..." Xiaolan began counting it on her fingers but gave up after she finished her sentence.

Jinshi looked deep in thought, but his attendant added, "It seems like a good idea, Master Jinshi. This could be poisoning that's targeting the concubines. This may be our only hope."

"Gaoshun-" 

"I think it's our best option as of now. And this isn't something we can wait out."

Jinshi thought about it before flashing one of his award winning smiles, which nearly swept Xiaolan off her feet. "Looks like that's what we'll have to do, then. I'll get in contact with the Verdigris house and send them a letter about it. Thank you, Xiaolan."

"Uh... No problem, Master Jinshi! I'm gonna get going! Bye!" she hastily left the office before she could embarrass herself more than she already did.

Chapter Text

MAOMAO POV

"I'm leaving, Dad." Maomao told her adoptive father, Luomen, as she grabbed her bag to leave. 

Luomen silently waved as he worked at the mortar with precision.

Maomao heaved a sigh before leaving. Today was going to be a bore. Yet again.

Life as a courtesan isn't as interesting as it's made out to be to the public, unless you're popular like the three princesses are. Maomao is only a low ranking courtesan that doesn't often get visited, so she normally humors herself in her small room with medicines and poisons she sneaks in her bag. The only actual visits she gets are usually from students or doctors looking for her advice. She doesn't complain, though. Sometimes it's a good time. Others its just her repeating the basics over and over, sounding like a broken record. So no, it isn't really like being a prostitute at all. It's, for her, like being a tutor. 

Even though she emphasizes that with her sisters, they still insist on dressing her up like a doll every time. 

As she entered the brothel's doors, she was met with the old Madam scolding her.

"You're late!" She shouted, and Maomao scowled. 

"I'm on time, I made sure of that!" She replied bitterly, standing her ground.

"Well, in business, being early is being on time! On time it's late." What kind of logic is that?

Maomao, too unmotivated to argue, slinked up the stairs. She went through the halls, trying to keep her steps as quiet as possible. Her efforts were unsuccessful, though, as Meimei stepped out of her room.

"Maomao! Good morning!" Her friendly smile shone way too bright for this early in the morning. How she could be so optimistic was something not even Maomao knew. 

"Good morning." Her voice was still, remaining in a deadpan tone. She slowly shuffled off, but before she could Meimei grabbed her arm and dragged her into the room she emerged from.

Maomao knew what her sister was planning. The unnecessary makeover of the day was about to commence. It was like a ritual at this point. Something done to her everyday, even if it was a little too much for her liking. She always ended up dotting on her freckles, putting her hair up in the same half up half down hairstyle, and running off to see if she could find any herbs on sale. 

She was ushered into a seat in front of an expensive looking mirror. Her reflection glared back at her with a defeated expression, and Meimei peeking out from behind her with a bunch of accessories and random hair products she couldn't name. Something Maomao did know about the products was that they weren't toxic, as she checked herself the first time they were threatened to touch her scalp.

"Don't you think this is a little... unneeded?" There was no appeal in making her a courtesan in her eyes. She was as flat as a board and as stiff as one, too.

"You speak like an old lady!" Meimei giggled as she combed Maomao's straight, forest green strands of hair. "I just like dressing you up. I've always wanted to do this, but you know Pairin and Joka. Pairin likes to go with her own flow, and Joka always argues that she won't dress up for men. I still wonder why she picked being a courtesan at this point." Maomao thought the same. At least Joka was the most realistic out of them, she thought to herself.

Meimei was like the older sister you could talk to who would giggle like a gossipy teenager when drama came up. But Meimei has a gentle heart and a pretty strategic mindset, which was no shocker, speaking that her specialty was Shogi and Go. 

Her freckles were wiped off with a soft towel, and Meimei began applying a bunch of makeup. She made sure she gave her little sister a light look, because anything beyond that would drive the catlike girl insane. The products, yet again, were approved by Maomao. "These are free of poison, and free to be applied." she would say, as if she was a professional poison identifier.

After a while of talking, Maomao finally spared a glance at herself in the mirror before scrunching her nose and furrowing her eyebrows. Who is that? She couldn't even recognize it as herself. Meimei laughed at Maomao's reaction.

Maomao didn't by definition hate it, she just thought it was way too overkill.

Her hair was held up by a hair stick, holding her hair in a cute but businesslike style. Her bangs looked as shiny as silver, and her strands of hair with the red and turquoise beads staying loose. Maomao kind of liked it. But she didn't say that, of course. 

Her eyes were accompanied by a dusty red at the corners, and light pink lipstick covered her lips evenly. 

"You look so pretty!" Meimei's hands were laying on her shoulders, looking at her with a smile through the mirror. "You'll find a reason to dress up soon, and you'll thank me then." She looked smug, and Maomao rolled her eyes.

-

"Maomao! We got something in the mail for you. They said you have to open it whenever you can. It's urgent." The old Madam handed her an expensive looking scroll. 

"Urgently?" Her interest piqued. "I'll check it out right now." Saved by the letter. She could take some minutes off the job with an undeniable excuse! Things were working in her favor today. 

She sped into her room, closing the door behind her. 

Once she was alone, she opened the scroll slowly. Maybe I could sell the material when I finish reading it. Maomao began to read it to herself.

Dear Maomao,

There has been an issue involving the palace as of recently. Our high ranking concubines and their offspring have fallen ill with an unknown illness. One of our serving girls, Xiaolan, told us about how you are studying medicine  and suggested you visit to give your input on this mystery. It would be my pleasure to formally invite you to the palace to assist us. We hope to see you soon. Thank you for all of your consideration.

Sincerely,

Manager of the Rear Palace.

Maomao was conflicted. For one, how would everyone react to her sudden departure? Nobody would believe her if she said "oh look at that! I gotta go to the palace because they strictly invited me there to help the high ranking concubines even though I'm a commoner!" Even with the letter, people would be skeptical. 

She didn't expect Xiaolan to remember her after this long. It had been...two years? She thought the energetic girl would have found many more people to think about instead of her. It made her heart soften, even if she didn't want to admit that. 

It must've been a lot of work getting the manager to agree to sending a letter off to her out of all people. It would be common courtesy to take on the offer. 

She rolled the scroll back up and sat in the silence. The room was only filled with her and her thoughts, which were swarming her head like a storm.

After the intense battle of going or not, Maomao finally decided to go. What did she have to lose? If she didn't figure it out, she could just say "I dunno" and leave. It's not like she works in the palace or anything, so she'd never see any of them again. Plus, she might get in trouble for denying a favor from someone in such a role.

Opening her door, she walked toward the old Madam's office. She lightly knocked on the door, in a simple rhythm. 

"Come in," the voice responded sternly. 

She opened the door slowly, letting it creak loudly. The noise angered her ears, but she ignored the feeling. "The scroll," she started, "It's asking me to go to the palace. There's some epidemic going on, and they want my input."

"Why would they want your input? They've never met you." 

"I met a serving girl a few years ago, and she recommended me. It'd only be right to go." she answered, fiddling with the scroll in her hand. 

"Let me see that." Maomao begrudgingly gave up the scroll. She watched the shock appear on the Madam's face. "So you weren't lying..."

"Why would I lie about that?" She sounded much more offended than she actually was. "i wouldn't voluntarily go there."

"Yet here you are."

She sighed, "Yet here I am..."

"You should go tell your sisters. And Luomen."

"I'll get to that later." 

-

When she broke the news to Luomen, he calmly told her to stay safe and make sure to come back or write to him. Luomen, as the calm and undeterred soul he was, would always be worried for Maomao's safety, but he trusted her enough to know that she would never put herself in harm's way intentionally.

In comparison, her sisters were crazy about it. Once they heard the news, they were ecstatic. The day of, they insisted on dressing Maomao up, but she forced them to only style her hair, so that she wouldn't intimidate or be beyond recognition. They agreed to it with a hint of disappointment, and got to work.

Maomao ended up stepping out of the brothel with her hair pulled to the side, being held by flower clips which, to her, made her look like she was of high status. The exact opposite she was going for. Combating with her clayed on freckles and cheap looking green top with a long burgundy skirt, she looked at best like a low ranking noble. Though the madam held quite the argument over the freckles, to say the least. But what could she do?

She took off, and went onward toward the palace. Her stomach was filled with butterflies, and she was struggling to keep a blank expression. She crossed her fingers tightly. Best of luck to her.

Chapter Text

MAOMAO POV

The place was quite huge, and that was her downplaying it. The palace was a vast area of land with multiple buildings sprinkled in every crevice they could be. Maomao was only in a part of the palace, so this wasn't even all of the palace. Maomao learned early on that she was in what was called the "Rear Palace," where concubines and consorts were located.

So to say the least, this is a flower garden in a few more ways than one... Maomao thought whilst looking at the vibrant plants nearby. 

Speaking of, there are four pavilions. Pavilions are basically where the high ranking concubine, the most favored by the Emperor, are housed.

There's the Diamond Pavilion, which belongs to Consort Lishu, but talking about it is a little controversial with her age and all. But it was made clear that Consort Lishu is only seen as a little sister by the Emperor, and nothing more. That's probably for good reason.

Then there is the Garnet Pavilion. The oldest consort out of the four, Consort Ah-Duo, lives there. She is said to be a childhood friend of the Emperor, so it's fair that she's so high ranking. There's not much to be said about her besides that. Plus, maomao doesn't really listen to conjecture or gossip, she only takes note of it.

The Crystal Pavilion and the Jade Pavilion are the most known. They're also the destinations Maomao is headed to. 

The Crystal Pavilion belongs to Consort Lihua, who has loads of maidservants and ladies-in-waiting, which are like a higher ranking version of maidservants. She has over ten ladies-in-waiting and over thirty maidservants. It's impressive how she manages to keep them all in check.

Lastly, but not least, the Jade Pavilion. In the Jade Pavilion lies Consort Gyokuyou. She has only a few ladies-in-waiting, with four of them which she's really close with, who basically worship the ground she walks on. But that isn't unexpected in the Rear Palace. She came from somewhere in the West, so connections with her origins are better for the palace. People speak pretty highly of her, from what Xiaolan has told her in the past. 

Maomao walked along through the Rear palace with a few eunuchs, until she reached a decently sized office. She assumed it was the manager that she'd gotten the letter from who worked there, so she waited patiently. They'd probably come out in a second to welcome her in. To her surprise, Xiaolan popped out from the double doors and drowned her in an embrace.

"Maomao! It's been such a long time! I'm so happy you're here!" She was just buzzing with energy, which was a relief. It was reassuring that Xiaolan didn't change too much. 

"I'm happy to be here too..." Maomao managed to get out as she was squirming in the tight hug she was trapped in. 

Xiaolan let go of Maomao after what felt like forever, so they could look face to face. Xiaolan was gleaming. "Your hair looks so nice!" She complimented ecstatically. 

More like extreme. Maomao thought, but didn't want to make a fuss by saying it out loud. Saying her sister did it for her would also lead to a long side conversation, too. So she stuck with something simple and on point. "Thanks."

"How have you been? Anything new?"

"Not really." 

"Awwwh, really?"

"Sadly. Why are you in the Rear Palace? I thought you lived in the countryside." 

"About that..." she chuckled in a way that sounded more disappointed than anything. "My parents sold me off. You know life up there! But it's okay! I've made so many friends here!"

"That's a plus." 

Their conversation was put to a halt by a friendly clearing of the throat from behind them. It didn't sound in any way unfriendly or disrespectful, yet it still annoyed Maomao. Xiaolan turned around quickly.

"Good afternoon, Master Jinshi! Sorry, we got a little carried away." She itched her cheek.

Maomao slowly looked behind her, to see a woman looking right back at her. She had long purple hair, cascading down her back, which matched her purple eyes. her appearance was almost like a celestial nymph. Who is she? Maomao couldn't help but ask herself.

"Maomao! This is master Jinshi, he's the manager of the Rear Palace! He'll be sticking with us while you visit. For the work part." Xiaolan explained, more giddy than ever. It seemed like Xiaolan was practically head over heels.

Hold on...that's a man? 

Jinshi flashed the two girls an award-winning smile in response. Maomao couldn't help but scowl. So that's the kind of guy he is. Egotistical. It was like he was glowing, literally. She was blinded by the charisma he showed off, but not shaken. From what she'd seen, Jinshi was the heart-throb of the Rear Palace. He was also a eunuch, since eunuchs were the only men allowed in this part of the palace. His smile only added to how he looked as if a unicorn vomited on him.

"Master Jinshi, this is Maomao! She's my friend from the Red Light District! She's a little quiet, but really nice when you get to know her!" Such high praise... She hadn't heard someone talk about her like that while she was in the room. Then again, Maomao would always sigh and retort when anyone at home would call her "soft." Maybe she just never let it slide enough to be grateful for it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Maomao said solemnly, trying to refrain herself from making any faces. "I'll try my hardest to assist with the task at hand."

"Same to you." He replied.

This was going to be a hell of a ride, wasn't it?   maomao was already mentally preparing herself for whatever would be thrown at her. 

"Oh yeah, Maomao!" Xiaolan piped up, an energetic kick bubbling inside of her,  "Since you'll be staying around here for a while, you should visit me when you can! I'm in the laundry part of the Rear Palace, and it'd be a help to have someone to help me read things!" She smiled a toothy grin. So she's illiterate. Made perfect sense, when she thought about it. Maomao noted that.

Being illiterate isn't uncommon, believe it or not. Reading and writing is limited for most girls, due to the social norms of the current day in age. Plus, education isn't handed out as a consolation prize for being alive. You'd have to live in quite the paradise for that to happen. People most of the time had to be high ranking to get an education, or they'd learn it from someone they knew. being literate would raise the value of a person extremely, which is why Maomao would be laying low for now.

See, Maomao learned how to read and write from her adoptive father, Luomen, while helping him with making medicine through her childhood. He taught her everything she knows, plus a bit from her sisters every now and then. She also learned most item's worth, speaking that she grew up in an area that was known for making anything they could sell overpriced. Negotiating was only natural. It was handy in even the most random scenarios.

"I'll see what I can do," she finally told her friend.

"I'm so excited!" Xiaolan squealed. "Oh, sorry..." she then sheepishly said to Jinshi. 

"I'll be giving your friend a tour of the Rear Palace, so you may head back to work." Jinshi told Xiaolan, with his overly charming voice. Maomao wasn't excited for this, to say the least.

Xiaolan took Jinshi's word as she waved to Maomao. "See you soon, Maomao!" She skipped off, probably back to the laundry department.

Maomao waved back until she was out of sight. She slowly looked up at the man towering a foot above her. She noticed he had another man with him. Would asking for his name be considered rude? Palace people are like a whole different breed... 

The man seemed to have noticed her not too discreet staring, as he told her, "My name is Gaoshun. I'm Master Jinshi's assistant."

"Nice to meet you." Maomao stated, her face blank as a slate. 

"Let's show you around, shall we?" asked the celestial nymph, as he craned his neck to look at her. Is his face stuck like that or did he manage to smile like that twenty-four seven? She didn't want to overtheorize, so she made her response quick.

She sounded unsure as she said it, but kept her voice steady to hide that. "...Of course." Is saying no even an option at this point? 

Chapter Text

MAOMAO POV

The first few minutes of walking were silent. The only noise accompanying them was the sound of the heavy wind flowing and the leaves swaying.

Maomao was walking with Jinshi, the manager of the rear palace, and Gaoshun, his assistant. She still couldn't believe the nymph of a man was the manager she'd gotten a letter directly sent to her by. His writing sounded so much different than he did in person. 

As of now, she was meant to be getting a tour of the rear palace. It was more like a walk to kill time. This is probably his excuse to be slacking off... she thought to herself, sighing a little too loudly.

"Is something wrong?" Jinshi asked.

"Oh, not at all." He still looked at her with an unbelieving face. "I..." Make an excuse, Maomao, quick. "...I'm just a little homesick." She wasn't completely lying. She'd definitely rather be at home making medicines than this. 

A shocked look passed the eunuch's face. "Oh."

She shot him a sharp glare. Does he not believe I have compassion just because of earlier? 

And he...was smiling? This guy... She decided not to think about how much of a psycho this man had to be, and instead inhaled the air slowly.

The rear palace had that smell that made you immediately able to tell it was a top-notch place. It wasn't an "an-up-in-your-face" smell like the Verdigris, yet it wasn't one that screamed "horrible housekeeping skills." 

"So you're an apothecary, I've heard." A specific man bothered her train of thought. 

"Yes, I am." She told him bluntly. Could the small talk be gotten over with? 

"How long have you been an apothecary for?" He slowed his walking, as if he was trying to drag out the conversation.

She gave in, and slowed her pace to match with him. His attendant behind them, just looked at the two hopelessly. "Since I was young, actually. My adoptive father is an apothecary, so I learned everything I know from him."

"Like what?" 

"Like that flower," she pointed to some pinkish red flowers drooping in a vase nearby. "These are called Azalea flowers. Though they are safe for the most part," she rambled as she walked over to the vase, completely changing paths. "They have poisonous properties if ingested. For example," she picked off a petal tenderly, "This can cause nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, hallucination, and a lot more side effects. But you can tell once you eat it that it's toxic. It gives a burning sensation to the tongue that's unforgettable!" Now she was just fangirling. Maomao always lost her cool demeanor when medicine was mentioned. Her mouth watered as she held the petal, but she flicked it away. 

All she got in response was a stare from both of the men. Gaoshun's look was his default at this point. The look of a father who's given up on his kids. Jinshi just looked straight up confused. Maomao couldn't tell what else, but she could tell he was staring at her as blankly as possible.

She cleared her throat. "Sorry, I got ahead of myself. What places should I take note of?" She directed the conversation back to the palace. It was the safest option.

"O-oh, yes of course. This is the Diamond Pavilion." He pointed to a large building, using his other hand to usher her over. "Consort Lishu lives here."

"So I've heard."

"You've heard?" He retorted.

"Xiaolan tends to talk a lot whenever I see her." The small trio began to walk in a different direction. 

"So you know about all the other Pavilions?"

"I know the basics around them. Just not any locations." 

"Hm. I guess that saves me some words..." He wasn't even trying to hide the disappointment anymore.

"Where will I be staying, if you don't mind me asking?" She suddenly cut in.

He thought for a moment. The planning sure was half assed... She rolled her eyes. "Probably with the rest of the serving girls, I'd assume." Assume? "You look annoyed." He noted aloud.

"You must be seeing things, sir. I'm honored to be here." She told him politely.

"Sure..." 

"This is the Garnet Pavilion." He pointed to yet another building.

She just gave a half-listening "hmm."

"These two won't be any of your concerns while you're here, so I see why you aren't listening." He said, an edge to the obnoxiously beautiful nymph's voice. 

"My sincerest apologies..." 

They were on their way to the Crystal Pavilion, when they were stopped by a heap of noise. 

"You bore a daughter, so now you intend to kill my son with this vile curse, don't you?!" A woman, Consort Lihua, shouted at the bubblegum haired consort crouched on the ground. It looked like they entered a scene at the wrong time...seems like Lady Gyokuyou was struck by Lady Lihua, as Lihua's hand is still raised. Gyokuyou was also holding her hand on her cheek. 

Quickly, Lady Gyokuyou fought back against the remark. "My xiaoling suffers in the same way...so surely you know that's not true." Was this why she was called here? 

All Maomao knew was that something happened with Consort Lihua and Consort Gyokuyou's health, along with their children, that could've had to do with poisoning.

A short and chubby man came between them, trying to reason with them. He wasn't doing too good of a job, but what else could he do? The eunuchs don't understand much of the drama and competition that comes for women in the palace. Especially consorts. 

"Who's he?" She whispered to nobody in particular.

"He's the Rear Palace's physician." Gaoshun replied swiftly.

"...Interesting." Maomao's hand was on her chin as she thought to herself. She'd never seen lady Lihua until now, she only knew who she was by the description of her appearance... Her appearance, speaking of, was looking quite fatigued. 

"Rumors say a curse was put on Lady Lihua. What do you think of that?" Jinshi asked her, a smirk on his face and a glint of curiosity in his eyes.

A curse? All of the clues could hint to that by the naked eye, but Maomao knew better than that. There was no such thing as a "curse." It was only a mystery without logic . "What is this curse, exactly?"

"Stomachaches, headaches, and nausea, I think." Gaoshun told her. He's straight to the point. Unlike his boss... she gave him a not-so-friendly glance.

Maomao paused, looking at the scene slowly unfolding. "There's one thing I can say for sure... this isn't a curse of any kind."

Chapter Text

MAOMAO POV

Maomao knew who she could go to for more information on the case. She made a beeline to the laundry area of the Rear Palace. If anyone knew anything about this, it had to be Xiaolan. With how up to date Xiaolan was with gossip, she must've had something to say.

She was seated with her friend at one of the tables in the maidservant's cafeteria. Xiaolan was shoving food in her mouth, speaking between bites. Maomao, on the other hand, was slowly taking sips of her soup.

"So, what do you think of the curse?" Xiaolan asked curiously.

"Well, I came to ask you about that." She would've gone to the two consorts pavilions, but due to the quarrel she witnessed earlier, she didn't go. It isn't a good time to get information out of people when they're upset. 

"Me?" The extroverted maidservant pointed to herself with confusion painted all over her face.

"Yeah. Do you have anything to say about it?"

"Well," she put the butt of her spoon on her chin, "So far three of the Emperor's children have died! That's no coincidence. First a baby died prior to our emperor now taking the throne, the other two died after that. But they all died in infancy! As of now, Lady Lihua's three-month-old child and Lady Gyokuyou's six-month-old are still alive. But from what I've seen, I dunno if they will be for any longer..." She pouted, her face showing deep concern. Xiaolan was too expressive for her own good, but at least it made her easier to read in comparison to a specific eunuch.

"How did the emperor from before die, then?"

"I'm not too sure, but from what I've been told he grew weaker until he passed away. Now that I mention it, the same thing has been going on with Lady Lihua!"

According to all the info, Lady Lihua fell under the same illness the previous emperor had. That made her fall seriously ill, along with her child and Gyokuyou's. What is it that they all share in common? Well, they're all royal blood, or related to royal blood. Maomao would need to ask a few questions to the ladies in waiting to figure this all out. 

"Did you reach a breakthrough?" Xiaolan's face was bright, just like all of the lanterns hanging in the Red Light District. Her excitement was put to a bit of a halt to maomao's response. 

"No, but I think I need one more piece to figure this out. Thanks for the help, Xiaolan!" Maomao hurriedly got up on her feet, put her dishes away, and scurried off to one of the two pavilions. Xiaolan waved at her.

"Best of luck!" She shouted out enthusiastically.

-

I guess the Jade Pavilion is first... Maomao heaved a sigh, before knocking on the door to the massive pavilion. 

The woman who came to the door has long brown hair, which she tied back behind her head loosely. She had matching brown eyes that looked at her with a sense of friendliness. She looked pretty young, yet older at the same time. "And who might you be?" She asked, her voice soft as silk.

"My name is Maomao. I'm only here for a few questions. About the..." She stopped, trying to find the right way to word it. "'curse.'" She'd finally set on. Just get this over with, and make your way out. Maomao told herself.

"Is there a guest, Hongniang?" Asked a voice anyone in the palace would recognize. 

"Yes, she's here to ask a few questions about the issue with you and Lady Lihua."

"I'm here on behalf of master Jinshi." Maomao quickly added, so she didn't seem like a nosey maidservant.

"Oh, is that so? Come on in then. Get comfortable." 

Maomao was caught by surprise. She would've kindly rejected the offer, but the woman, Hongniang, was looking at her sternly. Saying the single word of "no" could be an immediate ticket to her own beheading. So, Maomao walked into the huge building right behind Hongniang.

"Thank you for letting me come by," Maomao began.

"It's no worries!" said another lady in waiting, excitedly bringing out tea. "Take a seat!" This woman, in comparison, was much shorter. Her purplish-brown hair was tied in two buns on each side of her head. She had a piece of hair that seemed to have been loose sticking out on one side, framing her face. Her eyes were the same color of her hair, and she had the same friendly aura the other lady-in-waiting she met had. Were all of Lady Gyokuyou's ladies like this? Maomao couldn't help but wonder. "I'm Yinghua!"

"I'm Maomao." she told Yinghua, before she sat down on one of the couch seats, directly across from Lady Gyokuyou. Hongniang was fanning the consort's face, which made Maomao naturally assume that she was the head lady-in-waiting. 

"You're here on behalf of Master Jinshi?" the pink-haired Precious Consort asked, curiosity glimmering in her emerald green eyes, which were staring right at her with a delicate yet nerve-wracking look.

"Yes. I have been formally requested to come here to look into the illness both your child and Lady Lihua’s have." I was the last option, she fought the urge to say. 

"Oh! And why is that?" Fair question. If a seventeen year old waltzed into your house and told you she was here to "look into" a very important illness, anyone would be skeptical.

"I'm experienced in medicine and poison. I got recommended due to that, and here I am." She stated, matter-of-factly. "On that note, I'd like to ask a few questions." she was planning on asking the ladies-in-waiting, but having the consort herself here was a bang for her buck. Might as well get as much as she could out of it. 

"Can I ask what the daily schedule is, regarding the princess?" She went straight to the point. The princess was Lady Gyokuyou's little girl, who was the six-month-old. 

"To begin with, we wake her up and she has her morning meal." Hongniang began.

"What does she usually eat?"

"The usual baby food. It's been tested and confirmed to have no poisons in it." Maomao nodded. That takes out one possibility. "After that, we dress her. We also put powder on her face as well-"

"Powder?" 

"Well, yes. All of the children from the emperor have it applied everyday."

"Does Consort Gyokuyou apply this powder to her face herself?"

"No, I do not." Replied Lady Gyokuyou, patiently sipping her tea. Maomao remained untouched, and was getting cold. That explains it. 

It seemed like the other few ladies in waiting got interested, since there were a few of them peeking into the room while they pretended to do their tasks. maomao chose to ignore them.

"I see." Might as well save myself the second visit, "Do you know if Consort Lihua applies it?" 

"I think one of her ladies-in-waiting mentioned it to me. She was trying to brag or something." Yinghua piped up, walking into the room as if she wasn't just spying on the conversation.

It all makes sense now! 

"Thank you for your time, but I must go. I got all the information I need." Maomao nodded, as she got up. She bowed to the consort. "Apologies for cutting this short, but I think I've discovered something." And then she went dashing off.

Chapter Text

MAOMAO POV

"Master Jinshi!" Maomao burst into the office, ignoring her sense of manners. "I think I know what's been happening!"

Jinshi jumped in surprise, as Gaoshun looked at the doorway wide-eyed.

Maomao, realizing her lack of etiquette, smiled sheepishly. "My bad..."

"What's been happening then?"

Maomao cleared her throat, getting into her professional tone she used whenever she solved a mystery. Her sisters came to call it her "detective dialect," but Maomao ignored them.

"If you recall, all of the heirs to the Emperor from both before our current emperor's reign and as of current follow a certain routine as infants. This routine consisted of applying a powder to the face. I asked the Jade Pavilion, and I learned that three people have been using said powder. Those people were Consort Gyokuyou's child, Consort Lihua, and her son."

After laying out the information, she dived into her theory, "Which, by coincidence, are all of the same people who have been ill recently."

"So you're saying it is the powder? Did you look at it up close?"

"I didn't have to. See, I grew up in the Pleasure District, as you know. When I was little, I lived in a brothel." She scrunched her face a little at the memory as she began to share it, "One day, I happened to see the fate of a woman who refused to stop using the powder. She looked the same as Lady Lihua, and had the same symptoms as well. She put beauty before her life, and ended up losing both. I remembered it when I heard about the powder, and came to that conclusion." 

"You are literate, right?" Jinshi suddenly asked her.

"Yes. What of it?"

He smiled, "You should write to them on the subject."

"Isn't that your job?" She glared, her face unsatisfactory. he dared to respond with a flush by the cheeks. Masochist. 

"It is. I just believe that you could explain the situation better than I could. I wouldn't want to spread misinformation."

Fair enough. Anyone would believe a guy with such tremendous beauty. The pretty privilege in the palace is horribly hidden. "As you wish, sir." She turned around and began to exit.

"Hold on!" Maomao turned around.

"Yes, sir?"

"Xiaolan was right about you." That was all Jinshi told her. 

"Was she?" Now she was curious. What exactly did Xiaolan say about her?

He smiled warmly at her, but it didn't seem like a eunuch-like smile. She couldn't put her finger on what it seemed like. "She speaks very highly of you, you know. It's hard to believe this is your reunion after two years." I guess he can be normal sometimes. Maybe he isn't that bad. Maomao thought to herself before answering.

"It is. I'm lucky to have a friend like her in my life." Her face was hard as stone, yet her tone felt warming. The way she spoke of Xiaolan was the way she would speak like a sister. Xiaolan was, in a way, like the little sister Maomao never had. Her polar opposite, even. 

"She told me how you guys met," Jinshi continued on, "I expected you to be a little more friendly than you are as of now." And the moment they were having was over. Her blank face went to a frown. Her face screamed "Did you really just say that?" in a plain as day fashion. She wasn't too good at hiding her feelings.

She paced her way out, sparing one more look to see Gaoshun looking off like he didn't just witness all of that. So he's the one letting Master Jinshi get away with his antics. Why wasn't that surprising?

-

The letters had been written up and sent out, and now all that was left was waiting. Maomao decided to help Xiaolan on laundry duty, making herself useful while she was there.

When she wasn't she would be in her room messing with the herbs she picked from the palace. She would sit in her room for hours, covering her arms with different remedies, poison scars, and other wounds that were unable to be explained. She'd only been caught once or twice as she was excitedly digging up plants, mostly by Master Jinshi, who let her get away with it. It was bare minimum, for making her solve the case from earlier on. She wasn't getting paid, so getting away with something was the least he could do. 

From then on, she started getting called "Apothecary" here and there. 

-

"Apothecary," Maomao spun around from the herbs she may or may not have been picking out of the ground. 

"Master Jinshi?"

"Picking out plants again, huh?" he asked, his tone exhausted. Gaoshun was standing behind him looking at something else, as he always was. 

"Yes, I am, sir. These plants are the kind my adoptive father has at home." It was odd. Was that really a coincidence? Maomao pushed the question to the back of her mind.

"Really?"

"He is an apothecary too, so it isn't much of a surprise. He taught me what all of these can be used for."

"He sounds like a good man."

Maomao nodded in agreement. "He is. Were you looking for me?"

"Oh, yes, I was. Results have come back from the case you solved."

"So, can I go home?" The rush of bittersweet excitement got to her.

"About that...no."

"I'll pack up soon- what." The look of disbelief and disappointment on her face was evident. 

"You've been called by the emperor. I'm here to deliver the message." Why was he so cheeky about that? "He wants to see you in the Jade Pavilion. Around now."

"Oh... sure." A front row ticket to my demise. That's just great, isn't it? "I'll get going then." She picked up her long, slim, bag that was stuffed to the brim with herbs, plants, and mushrooms of varying sizes. As she began her way toward the pavilion, the sparkly leech of a man followed behind her. His assistant looked like he was regretting his life choices.

Maomao quickened her pace, trying to get away from him, but he continued catching up to her until she gave up. "Will you keep following me, or do you have work you're so desperately avoiding?" 

"Well... you need an escort, don't you?" He was caught red handed.

"No." She was deadpan.

Gaoshun was still following them like he had no part in what was unfolding in front of him. 

"I can tell you're just doing this to avoid your work. Or are you following me to get away from someone?"

"...Maybe I am."

"Let me guess," she thought about it. He was popular among both the women and men, so there was no definite guess. But the party that was mesmerized by him the most was definitely... "Were the maidservants gushing over you or something?"

He sighed a sigh of relief. It was probably because he didn't want to spell it out. Fair. "And your intellect wins again." 

"I'd call it merely a lucky guess." She told him sourly.

"Whatever you say."

How long was he planning to follow her around? "Will you be present at the Jade Pavilion?"

"Do you want me to be?"

"I really don't care, nor do I have a say. Your word comes over mine."

"Why is that?"

"I'm of lowly birth. I am only a daughter of an apothecary, and a low ranking courtesan. Nothing bigger."

"If you had a say, would you want me to come?"

"No." To his sad expression she added, "I don't want you to witness my beheading."

Him and Gaoshun looked at her with shock.

"Why else would the Emperor call me?"

"He won't behead you!"

"Would you, then?"

His face took on other-worldly looks of horrific. 

"If you did, do you think it could be from poison?"

"I'm not letting you die!"

"You don't have a choice, if I'm out of line. You only obey. You're a eunuch." She stopped walking. "Here's the Jade Pavilion." She walked toward it before someone grabbed her arm.

It was Jinshi, who had an oddly serious look on his face. "You won't get beheaded, I know it. And I won't let you die in this palace."

She didn't know what to say, so she responded with whatever came to her mind first. "Thanks." He let go of his soft grasp of her arm, and Maomao knocked lightly before she walked in the Precious Consort's home.

Chapter Text

MAOMAO POV

The Jade Pavilion wasn't more or less lively than usual. The ladies-in-waiting were practically skipping, but still watching their step. Every move from Hongniang seemed to be calculated as thoughtful of the reputation Consort Gyokuyou. In comparison, the other ladies were too caught up in their thoughts to be so proper.

Maomao entered, feeling all of the eyes slowly falling on her. "Good afternoon." She stuck with a simple greeting. She bowed deeply, keeping her posture careful and intentional. 

"Apothecary," The Emperor began, "I've heard many things about you." Hopefully those were good things. Maomao was more pleading than wondering. "Consort Lihua, as you know, is currently ill. Would you be able to nurse her back to health?" 

There was no other answer besides "yes," since according to everyone in the area, the Emperor's word was equal to the word of the heavens. Maomao, putting her hands in her sleeves, raised her arms as she answered a solemn "As you wish, Your Majesty."  I'd like to keep my head on my body for a few more days, yes please.

The man folded his hands together. "Would tomorrow be a good starting time for you?"

"Certainly, Your Majesty." 

"That's all I'll need from you. You may attend to the rest of your work."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." She walked out the doors, where the fresh air felt like a reward. She stood outside of the jade Pavilion for a few moments, letting the wind toss her hair every which way. She soon let her feet carry her back to her room, where she fell onto the bed in a heap. Maybe I'll just mess with some herbs for a little while...

-

The next day came way too fast.

Maomao tied her hair in the same half-up half-down hairstyle she'd been doing for what felt like forever. The flimsy blue ribbon holding her hair together was bound to break at any point now.

First, Maomao was brought to the kitchen to help prepare Lady Lihua's meal. She told them to make something easy to consume, with little to no chewing. She also suggested they brew some tea for her to bring to the Crystal Pavilion. She left the kitchen with a porridge made from a few fruits and grains, and some freshly brewed tea all neatly placed on a rectangular tray. 

Now that the face powder was strictly banned, nobody could get their hands on said poison for any longer. The merchant selling it faced cruel punishments along with the ban. 

When she politely made her way to the Pavilion, a lady-in-waiting hit the tray out of her hands. 

"Are you planning to serve our Lady with such peasant food?! The audacity!" The egotistical girl mocked her as Maomao began to clean up the spilled floor that was now all over the ground. "Back to the kitchen with you!" The other Crystal Pavilion girls laughed at the comment. Maomao kept her eyes glued to the ground. It's better not to provoke them too much, emotions are as blinding as a sun ray. 

This request feels meaningless, Maomao got up after tidying up, brushing her skirt. At this rate, I won't be able to get anywhere closer to the consort. Her prideful ladies-in-waiting are a big brick wall standing between a steady recovery. 

Maomao looked back again, watching a plate of expensive fish and vegetables get brought to Lihua. As the food was slowly brought to Lady Lihua's lips, she let out a ragged cough. The foods are clearly too solid for an ill person to easily digest. Seems like the girls had another way of thinking.

"It's probably because she's breathing the same air as a lowly peasant who insults her with this... mush!" A girl screamed, pointing an accusing finger Maomao's way. "Get out already!" Boing, boing. Maomao was aggressively thrown out of the room. 

That process only repeated itself for the next few days, until the loop was finally broken.

-

"Something troubling you?" The purple-haired beauty, known as Jinshi, was there to greet her as she wallowed in her own shame.

Maomao switched her gaze to above her, her dejected face a little too obvious. "It does?"

"Certainly. " 

The girls who were spying from above were shooting Maomao death glares as the conversation commenced. 

He leaned awfully close to her face. "I could come with you, if it helps." Maomao felt a cold wind trickle up her spine. 

Jinshi looked at the girls, a breathtaking smile appearing on his face in an instant. "Disobeying the Emperor's orders won't suit all of you beautiful women."

The singular line had them all red faced and swooning. The girls were murmuring to each other, before one of them said loudly, "You're right!" The key of permission was right in front of Maomao now. It seemed like the stars were aligning in her favor today.

"How quickly women change." Maomao muttered under her breath.

Jinshi smiled, patting Maomao's shoulder a bit. "Go on." Maomao did just as she was told.

"Pardon the intrusion, My Lady." She bowed quickly, before going to lady Lihua. her condition is worse than I thought, now that I'm seeing her face-to-face... and she was paler than usual... Maomao stroked Lihua's cheek, before looking back at her own fingers. 

This is the same shade as earlier! Rage filled her vision, as she stepped confidently towards one of the women standing aside.

"You're in charge of Lady Lihua's makeup, are you not?" She tried to keep her voice steady, but was failing to contain her emotions.

The girl cleared her throat. "That I do! We want our Lady to look proper, no matter the occasion." The ugly smirk laying on the girl's face was proof of how ignorant she was.

"I see." Before she knew what she was doing, Maomao threw a slap at the girl.

A shriek left the girl's mouth quickly as she fell to the ground. Another girl yelled, "What are you doing?!"

"Me?" Maomao grabbed the girl's hair while it was in reach, "Punishing an idiot, clearly." She dragged the girl across the room, as she desperately screamed words that maomao could care less to listen to. 

Maomao's hands swiftly opened all of the drawers she saw, until she found a small tin, lonely in a drawer. This girl... Maomao let her hand loose from the girl's hair to grab the tin, and clasp it open with one hand. She then poured all of the contents on the floor, and the lady-in-waiting she'd dragged moments earlier. Crouching down to her level, Maomao's grasp returned to the girl's head. "Aren't you relieved? Overjoyed? it won't take too long for the poison to settle in, your skin sinking into your skull. You'll lose the ability to eat, too. Then, you can be as beautiful as your beloved Lady Lihua." She grabbed the girl's made-up face. "Don't you know why this stuff was banned?" She heard her voice raise juristically. 

"B-b-but I thought..." The girl began to stutter.

"It's poison!" Maomao interjected. "You're so convinced that you're always in the right..." Maomao rubbed her hand into the powder remaining on the ground, then slapped it onto the girl's face, as her hand remained. "Do you think she'd be pleased to be dressed with the poison that killed her son?!"  Maomao finally snapped back to reality, getting up quickly. "Go clean out your mouth, and your face." She looked at the party of horrified ladies-in-waiting. "You! Clean this up! We can't have this in the same room as the patient, can we?" 

"R-right away!" A shrill voice out of the dozen exclaimed. 

"How quickly women can change..." Jinshi said, his voice seeming to be filled with awe as he uttered the words Maomao said earlier. Maomao rotated around alertly, before seeing Jinshi looking back at her with wide eyes. I'm screwed... 

Chapter Text

MAOMAO POV

The rest of the days leading up to Lady Lihua's recovery went smoothly. Maomao slowly started to feed her denser food, helped bathe her, and she also even managed to get a sauna built. Lady Lihua was soon able to walk on her own two feet, leading to her being able to leave her quarters. It was a relief to see her no longer fatigued and more active, even if Maomao could only watch from a distance at some point. The lady who had been involved in the poison scandal returned to the Crystal Pavilion, and took Maomao's spot in taking care of the consort. 

Walking out of the Crystal Pavilion for the last time felt oddly saddening. Knowing that this was her last day in the palace was supposed to be a relief, and it somewhat was. But it also felt like she built up so much within the few days that she had to leave behind. Lady Lihua gave her some snacks as a thanks, that were way too sweet for Maomao's taste. But she wouldn't tell her that. Never thought I'd be getting all sappy about something small like this... she thought to herself, walking her way back to the maidservant's laundry area.

-

"Maomao!" Xiaolan's cheeky voice called for her with high pitched excitement. In an instant, she threw her arms around Maomao. "It felt like forever!" She stretched out forever as she leaned on the apothecary. She moved back a bit, plopping herself on a bench. "I heard Lady Lihua has fully recovered! I'm so happy!"

"I can tell." Maomao replied, pulling out the wrapped snacks she was given. "I'm not a sweets person. Do you want these?" She slid the container Xiaolan's way, who happily started scarfing them down. 

"Thanks, Maomao!" she replied, overjoyed. It sounded more like a "Fanks, Maomao!" which she couldn't help but chuckle at. 

"Whaddaya think of everyone here?" Xiaolan asked.

"Where's this coming from?"

"You're leaving tomorrow, so I wanted to know. Am I right?"

She sighed. "Yes, I will be gone by tomorrow. Afternoon, I believe."

"Oh..." A pang of disappointment was clear on her friend's face. She then flashed a grin as she said, "I've heard some gossip about you!" 

Maomao raised an eyebrow.

"They say you've been around Master Jinshi a lot. What's up with that?"

"Him...yes..." Her face went cold. Of course it revolved around the palace's sweetheart. " He just follows me around, and I let him. He isn't much of my concern, even if he's annoying. He's... tolerable."

"Tolerable? Really? he's like- the most dreamy eunuch here!" Xiaolan said through chews, her eyes wide as saucers.

"I can't deny that he's inhumanly beautiful, but he's not too dreamy. More of...someone who tries too hard."

Xiaolan was now fully in shock, and her face wasn't toning it down one bit. "WHAT? How aren't you... does the pleasure district just make you that detached from romance? At all costs?"

"I guess?" Maomao shrugged her shoulders as she craned her neck up toward the sky. The sky seemed so much clearer in the palace. Was that because the Red Light District always had lanterns and other things crowding the sky? Or was it because she never looked at it enough? "Xiaolan?"

"Yeah?"

This would sound really stupid... "We'll write to each other, right?"

Xiaolan's smile was brighter than before. It competed with the celestial nymph’s at this point. "Of course we will! That's what best friends do, right?"

"Yeah. It is, isn't it?" A wave of relief rushed over her, as the two girls watched the other maidservants rushing around with clean and dirty clothes in their arms. What would life be like if she too worked in the palace? How would fate guide her? Was there such a thing as fate? 

Maomao got up, dusting her skirt. "What now?"

Xiaolan finished up the last pastry styled snack, before clamping the lid shut. "We could walk around. I want to at least get a walk in with you before you go. One that isn't for work." 

"Sounds like a good idea." Maybe I can snag some herbs while we're out there... Her inner monologue urged. And off they went.

-

"That's poison? It looks so pretty, though..." Xiaolan glumly muttered, as she slowly scooted away from the plant. The two girls were currently crouched by a patch of flowers that Maomao was raving about. 

"Have you ever seen a Venus Flytrap?" Maomao questioned.

She got a look of confusion in response. "Uh... no?"

"It's a plant that isn't from around here. It looks kind of like a book, since it has two sides that open up. It's like a mouth that devours bugs in an instant. It lures the bug in, and then feasts." She shrugged. "Basically, there's many plants that are somewhat lethal. Even if that's to insects, animals, or humans. They are more common than you think. But lucky for us, this flower isn't poisonous to an extreme extent. You have to know how to make it into poison, it isn't straight up poisonous on its own." 

Xiaolan let out an audible sigh of relief. "You scared me for a minute!"

"If we do get poisoned somehow, I have an emetic agent." Maomao pulled a little bag from her hanfu. 

Her brunette friend leaned closer to her to get a glimpse of the contents. "What does that do?"

"It induces vomiting. If you take it in time, you can get all of the poison out of your immune system. That's if it isn't a poison carried by gasses. If you don't use it in time...you face the side effects."

"Oh... And why do you have one on you at all times?"

"Just in case." She responded, in a mysterious tone. It would be too awkward to confess that she voluntarily inhaled poisons, so she stuck with a safe response that wasn't technically a lie. 

"Good thinking! Since you're an apothecary, people visit you about poisonings a lot, don't they?"

"Not really, but you know how the palace is. Poison is a common murder weapon." She felt a small smile creep on her face by the mention of it.

Silence followed for a few beats, until Xiaolan got up and wiped down her skirt with her hands. "On a different note, I have an idea!"

"An idea?"

"Just follow me!" The cheeky grin on Xiaolan's face was more than alarming. Maomao wanted to run, but something was keeping her right behind Xiaolan's pace. Besides her sleeve being gently tugged in the right direction, her heart was telling her to stay. Those herbs will have to wait until tomorrow... She sulked.

She ended up being led to a pair of benches. Yet again. "We're back on the benches?"

"It's where we always are! Like a tradition!"

Maomao snorted. "In a way, sure." 

"Do you style your own hair?"

"When I'm going out to run errands, yes. Other times, my sister helps me out."

"Well, it's your lucky day! I'm gonna be your sister for today, alrighty?" Xiaolan pulled out some small and rectangular pieces of cloth. 

Maomao wasn't against it, but still was a little suspicious. "Don't make me look too stupid."

"I'll do my best, miss!" She playfully raised her hand in a saluting manner. Maomao couldn't tell whether she would regret this or not. 

-

A few minutes of chatting later, a certain someone walks up to them. "Hello ladies." Maomao nonchalantly waves at the otherworldly beauty.

"Master Jinshi! Good afternoon!" Xiaolan's voice buzzes with her usual enthusiasm as she continues fiddling with Maomao's hair. Thankfully, Maomao's pain tolerance was high, or she'd be whispering an "ow" or "ouch" every few seconds.

"Hello, Gaoshun." Maomao piped up, feeling bad for the attendant. Nobody really acknowledged his presence as much as his master, which was understandable, but he still deserved at least a hello. 

"Doesn't Maomao look cute?" Xiaolan asked the two, as Maomao tried to feel her hair for what she'd ended up with. From what she could tell, her beaded strands were still idly in place, but the rest of her hair was elevated in neat space buns. 

"Not too bad," Maomao responded, with a look of approval. Xiaolan was sort of like a weak spot for her, so she'd never reject one of Xiaolan's "makeovers."

"Your hair..." Was all Jinshi could muster.

She glared. "What about it?" 

Xiaolan giggled before whispering into Maomao's ear, "He's speechless!" 

"I wonder why." She was muttering more to herself than anyone. 

"This hairstyle has been popular with the maids recently, so I thought I'd give it a try on her!" Xiaolan explained, pointing to a group of girls. One of them had her hair styled the same way.

"Thanks." Maomao replied, deadpan. 

She turned her gaze to Jinshi, who looked like he was developing a fever because of how red his face turned. "Are you feeling feverish, sir?" 

He opened his mouth, then decided to keep it shut.

"It looks nice." Gaoshun seemingly answered for him. 

"I'd hope." She got up, and Xiaolan did the same thing as her. "I have to get back to work."

"Oh, yeah! Sorry for slacking off!" Xiaolan clasped her hands together urgently, making a loud smack by her hands contact with each other. Her voice sounded desperate, as she 

"Uhm...Don't worry about it." He finally regained his ability to speak.

"I must go. I'll see you tomorrow." She bowed her head a little before she and Xiaolan scurried off like mice. 

Chapter Text

MAOMAO POV

Maomao was up before the sunrise that day. Knowing it was her last in the palace, it'd be best to start getting her things ready early. She stretched her arms as she sat up in her bed, yawning. She scootched over in her seat so that her feet were hanging at the side, then hopping out of her blanket. 

Silence felt relaxing, but also weird. Since she grew up in the bustling streets, and the palace often had court ladies and serving girls talking with each other, the loud volume was all she'd known. All she could hear now was the trees rustling and her own steady breathing. 

She got dressed, styling her hair in the same style she always did. Xiaolan's trendy hairdo was a little too much for her taste and took way too long for Maomao's liking. Something simple and not all in her face was preferable. It didn't get in her face while picking herbs or testing poisons, so it was a win.

After packing her things into a big and tidy bundle, she looked outside to see the sun rising. 

She then got dressed into her usual outfit: A hanfu that consisted of a mint green top, a white undershirt, and a burgundy skirt that reached ground level. practical enough. She also tightened the bandage around her arm while she was at it, which covered her scars from poison testing herself. Her adoptive father, Luomen, used to call her a "mad scientist" every time he caught her in the middle of her hobby.

She took out a small tin that had a clay and oil mixture inside it. Pulling out a small brush, she proceeded to put her freckles on the bridge of her nose.

The sun had risen, and it seemed like all of the women were getting ready and wandering as of now. Maomao decided to head to the maidservant's cafeteria. Maybe she could get a good seat while she was at it. 

-

The large cafeteria was quiet. Only her and a few other servants were there at the moment, and Maomao had snagged a table for her and Xiaolan. She grabbed herself a tray of food and took a seat. After a while, she saw Xiaolan in the distance, waving toward her with a tray in hand. Maomao waved her over to the table.

"You got up early!"

Maomao shrugged. "I guess instinct took over. I wanted to get ready early, so I could spend the rest of the morning sorting out extra business."

"Smart!" Xiaolan praised, stuffing her spoon in her mouth. After swallowing, she asked, "What are you gonna do after you leave?"

"Probably what I've been doing for the past three years. I'll return to working as a courtesan, and that'll be that."

"After my term is over, I'll visit! You better get me a free visit!" She pouted, raising her fist.

She rolled her eyes jokingly. "I'll do what I can." She took a bite into the room temperature oatmeal in front of her.

"Good! And we'll write to each other."

"Right." 

"But it really is a shame... time went by so fast! I sometimes wish you just worked here...or maybe that I just worked there!"

"I think it's better how it is. The palace provides you with a good diet, exercise, and social life. That's all you need. As for me, I've learned how to navigate the district well, and I have all of those things."

Xiaolan rested her head on one of her hands. "I guess you have a point..." 

Maomao put her hand over her mouth, trying to hide a yawn but failing miserably.

Xiaolan's bubbly laugh filled the room. "Getting up early will tire you out, huh? How early were you?"

"Somewhat before sunrise." She responded, finishing up her breakfast.

Xiaolan looked at her with shock. "That's really early! Are you always up by then?"

Maomao thought about it for a second before replying as realistically as she could. "Not usually. Sometimes, when I have specific errands to run."

"Hmmmm..." Xiaolan looked off into the distance, and Maomao followed her gaze. All of the maidservants were evacuating the cafeteria. "Looks like we have to part ways. I'll say goodbye to you before you leave, okay? For now, see you later, Maomao!" She waved as she ran off. 

She forgot to put away her tray... Maomao thought to herself, stacking the two trays neatly over each other. After putting them away, she thought about what direction she was headed in first.

Lady Gyokuyou wanted me to stop by again, didn't she? Lady Lihua said the same. And telling Xiaolan's boss I'm leaving would be the most formal, since he's basically my boss too. She decided to stop by the Jade Pavilion first, since they were the most approachable option.

-

The door creaked open to her knock, Hongniang standing in the doorway. "Maomao! Come on in, Lady Gyokuyou has been eager for your arrival." Eager, huh? I don't know whether I should be concerned or not.

Upon entering the pavilion, she was suffocated in a hug. "You saved my daughter!" Her hug was a lot like Pairin's, a motherly yet suffocating embrace. "Thank you so much!" Her personality, on the other hand, was more reminiscent of MeiMei or Xiaolan's.

"It's no problem, My Lady." Maomao choked out, as the hug was taking the wind out of her.

Consort Gyokuyou let go and smiled. "If you were staying for any longer, you'd be my lady in waiting by now!" Such honorable words, speaking that they're from one of the high ranking consorts. 

"Was that the green-haired girl?" A voice-Yinghua's?- called, as the sound of footsteps hitting the ground approached. Turns out maomao was right on the money. Yinghua stepped out from a dimmed doorway, and waved toward Maomao. "Morning!" 

"Good morning." Maomao's voice sounded really off-beat compared to their ecstatic tones. How could they be that happy so early? "I came to bid you a farewell, as I'm departing in the afternoon." She explained to the lady in waiting who just joined the conversation. Hongniang nodded in agreement. Maomao had forgotten Hongniang was there, but wherever Lady Gyokuyou was, her chief lady in waiting followed. 

"You're leaving?" Yinghua frowned.

"My work is done. Speaking of," she remembered, "How is the princess?"

"She's better than well, healthy as a horse!" Gyokuyou informed her proudly. "Would you like to see her?"

Why not? "If you'd like me too." 

Hongniang took the order and left, soon coming back with a little girl. She put the girl in Gyokuyou's arms.

"This is my little girl, Lingli." The bubblegum haired consort smiled warmly at her daughter, who let out a giggle. 

Lingli was put in the arms of Maomao, which surprised her. Lady Gyokuyou and her daughter had quite the resemblance. Lingli has the same bright pink hair, but a little more muted, and the same jade eyes. "You two share many of the same genes." Maomao noticed.

"I've been told most of her looks came from me." 

Lingli began to lightly pull on Maomao's beaded hair, giggling to her heart's content. "And her lightheartedness." 

Gyokuyou put her hand on her chin. "Ah, really? I'm complemented!" 

"She's so cute!" A blonde haired lady in waiting, who Maomao didn't recognize, gushed. She was peeking over Maomao's shoulder with her eyes glistening. "You can tell she's Lady Gyokuyou's in an instant!" Her ladies-in-waiting complement her a ton. That's a good thing. 

"Agreed." Maomao added. Her head was suddenly jerked to the side, by Lingli's strong tug. "She's quite strong." Maomao nonchalantly told nobody in particular. Lady Gyokuyou began to giggle. 

"She must've got that from her father." Yinghua said, joining the fit of laughter. 

"You should take her, before she pulls my hair out..." Maomao said, gently putting the girl in her mother's arms.

"Maybe that's for the best." She smiled. "We'll miss you."

"I'm honored."

She was clung onto by everyone in the room, as if she was a cat tree. She couldn't understand what they were all saying, as they were blubbering all at the same time something along the lines of: "I'll miss you!" or "I don't want you to go!"  The cluster split, as they all finally let Maomao free from their grasp.

"Thank you for entrusting me with your daughter's life," she bowed deeply, keeping her manners intact, "and thank you for welcoming me for my stay." She managed to leave in one piece, even with the crying and begging behind here.

-

Maomao wasn't too animated about the second stop. Due to how close they were, Maomao forced herself to make the Crystal Pavilion her second destination.

The Crystal Pavilion's ladies still weren't too fond of her, and the 'incident,' as she had dubbed it, was more salt to the wound. They either hated her, or were traumatized by the scene she made during her last visit. 

Heaving a heavy sigh, Maomao dragged herself to the Pavilion. 

Before she could lay a single knock on the expensive door in front of her, it was flung open by a woman she hadn't met before.

The woman's face was as hard as stone, but scrunched when looking down at Maomao. Maomao directed her gaze up at the woman. She had a striking resemblance to Lady Lihua, though she was lacking in some aspects. She had medium-length navy blue hair, which was styled in an updo that reminded her of Hongniang in a way. Her eyes were a dark brown, and held a cold gaze. She also had flower drop earrings on both of her ears. "Who are you?"

Maomao matched the woman's demeanor. "I'm Maomao. I am the apothecary who helped Lady Lihua recover from the poisoned powder."

The woman's face scrunched more from the response. "And what are you doing here?" She spat.

This lady wasn't even trying to seem friendly. The lady's behavior only added to Maomao's suspicions. "I've arrived to visit Lady Lihua. Since I'll be leaving this evening, I'd like to check up on her and bid her farewell."

"One moment." The woman turned around, and walked back into the pavilion. Most likely to get the consort's input on letting her in. At least she's faithful to her lady. That's one redeemable quality. 

Maomao was already regretting this. 

In what felt like an hour, the woman returned, with the clacking of her heels hitting the wood flooring coming closer to Maomao's earshot. "Lady Lihua had invited you to come in."

"..." It's too late to back out now. "...I would be delighted to." She expected the navy-haired woman to move, but she stood her place. "Excuse me." Maomao muttered as she slid past her. 

Maomao could hear the woman lurking a few feet behind her, but decided to ignore it. Seeing that the entrance to Lady Lihua's room was already open, she decided to knock anyway. She lightly rapped her fist against the door.

A blue haired woman with eye-catching magenta eyes walked toward the doorframe. In the distance, Maomao could see a few girls shuddering in fear by the syllables of her name, or grimacing to themselves. Lady Lihua was the opposite. "Maomao, Shin! Good afternoon." Her name's Shin, huh? Maomao mentally noted, whilst keeping an eye on Shin. Lihua, seemingly noticing this, began to introduce the two. "You two haven't met prior to today, have you?"

"Yes, we only met earlier." Shin replied, speaking for the two.

"Maomao, this is Lady Shin. She's my chief lady-in-waiting." Lady Lihua extended a hand in Lady Shin's direction before continuing, "Lady Shin, this is Maomao. She's an apothecary who has come to visit. She helped me with my recovery from getting poisoned." 

Lady Shin looked down at Maomao. "So I have been told." 

Looking at them next to each other, their resemblances were more uncanny than she thought. "Pardon me for asking, but are you two perhaps related?"

Lady Shin's brow furrowed, as Lady Lihua smiled warmly. "We are, indeed. Lady Shin is my cousin. How could you tell?"

"You two resemble each other." She stated, shrugging her shoulders slightly. She was relieved to have one of her theories cleared up. "Anyhow, I would like to formally thank you."

"There is no need, if anything I should be the one doing the thanking." Lady Lihua interjected majestically. "Without you, I would no longer be here." The look of genuine gratitude on her face was obvious.

"It is no problem, my lady. I'd like to thank you for trusting me in taking care of you. I'd like to also apologize for the other day, since I may have been out of line."

Her face softened. "I've already forgiven you. You did what you had to." Maomao was a bit taken aback, and Lady Shin was as well.

A moment of silence passed, as if the universe was trying to process the information along with the apothecary. "Thank you." She finally said, piercing the silence. "I must get going, I have one more place to visit before I leave. I hope the future holds good things for you, Lady Lihua."

"Same as to you, Maomao. I hope you return at some point."

"I'll try my hardest to fulfill that. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." Lady Lihua calmly stated.

Maomao bowed, yet again, and stepped out of the doorway. 

-

A weight was lifted off of her shoulders, stepping out of the Crystal Pavilion. The place always managed to remind her of that banished powder. It sent a small shiver down her spine thinking about it. Looking behind her, she saw the glittery eunuch headed her way. He had girls pausing their work to eyeball him, and she grimaced at the thought. Maomao turned around to pretend she hadn't seen him, but it seemed to be too late.

"Apothecary."

"Master Jinshi." Maomao used her hand to shove him off, turning around toward him. "I was on my way to your office."

"Oh?" Jinshi raised an eyebrow. She squinted her eyes with disgust. Was he sparkling? 

She shook her head, letting her eyes recover from the beam of light she was looking directly at. "Since you're my boss, I thought it'd be right to make sure I had no other business before I leave."

"We could walk back together. I was on my way." She saw Gaoshun approaching the two. It seemed the poor guy didn't want anything to do with his boss at the moment.

"...Sure. Maybe then we could finish the conversation faster."  She said, purely deadpan.

"Lady Maomao," Gaoshun caught up to her before she cut him off. 

Maomao waved her hand dismissively. "There is no need to call me that. Your status is higher than mine, by a big margin." 

"Then..." He paused, stroking his chin in thought, "...Xiaomao?" So they were both somewhat like that. Maomao couldn't help but frown. The word "Xiaomao," when split up into two words translates to "little mao," or "little cat." It was more fitting that she wanted to admit. Maomao begrudgingly nodded.

"You can call me whatever you wish." The words automatically rolled out of her mouth. Though the name got on her nerves, she'd been given nicknames many times before, so she grew thick skin to them. Kind of like her experiences with poison, but revolving around something more verbal than poisons, and something less lethal.

Jinshi, on the other hand, thought it was great. He was chuckling to himself like it was the best thing he'd ever heard. He was struggling to hold it together. 

Maomao cleared her throat, trying to get him to stop. "Master Jinshi." She said flatly. "The reason I was on my way to your office was to make sure there was no more business that I need to attend to here."

"You've done all we need you to do, don't worry."

She could feel her eye twitching. "I wasn't. Anyway, I also was here to bid you farewell before my departure."

"I forgot about that." Jinshi said, probably to himself.

"If anything comes up, you could probably call for me at the Verdigris. I'm usually available."

He paused. "Usually? When are you not?"

"Mostly when customers come in, or when I go run errands."

"Customers?"

This guy... He really likes putting my chastity into question, doesn't he? "I'm a courtesan. Without customers I'd be fired." It was quite obvious. Customers were the only way for a courtesan to thrive. If one of the courtesans had no customers, they could either keep learning new talents to raise their value, or accept their fate and give up their job before it was taken from them. Or, if they had someone looking for them, they could get themself bought out. There were no other options, were there? Unless something unexpected were to happen to a courtesan...that was something Maomao didn't want to think about.

"Oh, yeah, of course...It's too bad you won't be here for the upcoming garden party."

Garden Party? Where had she heard of that? "Xiaolan was telling me there was one happening soon. They don't sound too bad." She shrugged her shoulders indifferently. Basically all that happened was poison tasting, giving out hairpins, along with singing and dancing. The poison especially sounded like a good time...

"How much does she tell you? It's as if you get all of your info from Xiaolan."

"She's a little talkative herself. Speaking of her, on my behalf, and if there is anything leftover, would you maybe deliver her some sweets from the garden party? She'd be the most grateful." 

He smiled down at her. "I'll do what I can."

"Thank you. Looks like it's my time to go." Maomao explained, looking into the distance to see that most of the workers were going in for their lunches. She promised she'd leave by then, so Xiaolan wouldn't get in trouble for slacking off. "Goodbye, Master Jinshi. I wish you luck." Would he need luck? Probably not. His pretty privilege was his luck in itself, was it not? 

A sad smirk crossed his face. "I'll be sure to get in contact with you if we need your apothecary skills again."

"Sounds good to me. And Gaoshun, I wish you the same." In comparison, Gaoshun looked like he'd need a handful of luck to make it out alive. He seemed like a stressed parent dealing with his toddler every time she'd seen him. 

"Thank you, Xiaomao." 

"Farewell." Maomao waved at the two, going back in the direction of the room she'd been staying in. She still needed to grab her bundle of necessities, and meet up with Xiaolan at the exit gates. She didn't look back after she began walking, she only quickened her steps firmly.

-

Packing her bags wasn't too difficult. She didn't bring that much, anyway. She brought a bunch of herbs, her mortar and pestle, her hair ribbon, her freckle mixture, and the necessities.

As she walked up to the exit gates, she already saw a brunette with braided pigtails wiping her eyes.

"Good afternoon." Maomao said to her, as she calmly walked toward her.

Xiaolan sniffled loudly, before bursting into tears for the second time, rimming her eyes with red. "Maomao!" She cried, giving up on containing her sadness. 

"...Yes?"

Her voice was a stumbling mess, pausing between words to sniffle or clean her tears before producing them all over again. "I...I don't want you to go! I just wish I could just go with you!"

"Xiaolan..." Maomao's face softened. "Don't let me stop you from this. Though living in the palace might not be the most ideal, try to make the most of it. Knowing you, it won't be difficult at all. Right?"

After the girl wiped her tears with her palms, hazel eyes met Maomao's blue ones. "You're right." Xiaolan smiled a soft and toothy grin, beaming a bittersweet smile. "I'll make the most of it! And you will too, right? Back at home?"

"Why not?" She asked, but it wasn't really a question. It was a kind statement.

Xiaolan's arms extended, as she trapped Maomao in a hug. The forest green haired courtesan couldn't hug back, since she had her hands full, but didn't push her friend away. A few silent moments passed, and Maomao couldn't help but smile. After what felt like forever, Xiaolan let go from her solid grip. 

"This isn't 'goodbye.' It's only 'see you later!' So, say it with me, okay? See you later, Maomao!" Xiaolan waved with her head held high.

How silly... "See you later, then, Xiaolan." She turned around, letting herself breathe the last breath of palace air, and slowly left into the crisp afternoon.

Goodbye, Rear Palace.

Or maybe... see you later? 

Chapter Text

MAOMAO POV

Maomao rustled in the sheets, slowly applying force to her arms to sit herself up. An herbal smell filled the small shack, strong enough for her sensitive senses to notice. Where am I again? Oh- that's right. 

After she'd left the palace, the catlike girl returned to the Red-Light District. The first stop she went to was her adoptive father's home and apothecary shop. Being too tired to deal with her sisters, she made a beeline to Luomen's place. Today was her second day home, and her first day back on the job of a courtesan.

"Good morning, dad." Maomao cracked her knuckles, getting onto her feet.

An old man looked back at her. Luomen smiled softly as he always did, already awake and working at the mortar. He had his grayed hair in a ponytail, as per usual. His cane was idly leaning from a nearby wall. "Good morning, Maomao. Did you sleep well?"

"Sure did. Feels better sleeping at home again." Though the palace was rich, having the best materials and supplies, there was a warmth that the capital of Li lacked. That warmth was security. The feeling that everything was the way it should be, and the feeling of familiarity. Growing up on the streets of the sketchiest area of Li wasn't preferable to most, but it was still home in the center of Maomao's heart. Down to her sense of humor, Maomao would always be a Pleasure District girl. 

Luomen laughed, but it was more of an exhale from the nose. "That's good. I'm happy your here." 

"Me too," Maomao scooted next to Luomen curiously. "What are you making?" Her eyes lit up as she watched the herbal master work. 

"Just an ointment. Someone came in yesterday with a big burn on their hands, so I told them I'd make a remedy." 

"Hmmm." She hummed, sliding off to apply her freckles. She'd tattooed the freckles on the bridge of her nose a few years ago, and sprinkled the clay mixture she always made on top of them. That way, the splotchy marks seemed natural from the naked eye. 

Packing a few tools into her bundle, she got up from the ground, taking note of the mat marks that had carved their way into Maomao's knees from sitting for too long. "I gotta go to the Verdigris. I can't be late, especially since I was gone for a week." 

"Before you go," Maomao heard some rustling, before a small bag was placed in her hand by her adoptive father. "Give this to the Madam. It's a medication for one of the courtesans."

"Got it. I'll see you tonight!" She walked out of the door and started her short journey to her workplace.

-

The air reeked of greasy food, as all of the food stalls just opened. People were already crowding the streets, making it like a maze to get anywhere. The Red-Light District was lively, like it'd always been, in more of an annoying way than anything. The sound sometimes hurts her ears like an ear infection.

As Maomao weaved her way through people discreetly, the smell of chicken skewers was threatening to lure her in. Even if her mouth was currently watering, Maomao shook her head to get the thought out of her head. 

"Grams, I'm back." The forest-green haired young woman stepped foot into the Verdigris House, the best brothel in the country. "I have medicine from my dad." She firmly dropped the pouch on the Madam's desk, ignoring the angry gaze she was being given. 

Before she could've gotten beat up by the old hag, she saw her tall sister rushing towards her before drowning her in a clingy yet sisterly hug. "Maomao! You said you'd only be gone for three days, not a whole week!" Pairin whined, leaning all of her weight onto her scrawny sister. Pairin was a sister by title, but a motherly figure to Maomao. Though Pairin was quite the lusty person, she still had strong maternal instincts. Her plum hair cascaded down her back, and curtained over both her and Maomao's shoulders mid-hug. 

The Madam only added fuel to the fire. "A week! That's four extra days, Maomao! You better have a good reason!"

"I do have a good reason..." 

Another voice, more high pitched and friendly, entered the conversation. "Is that Maomao?" 

"It is!" Pairin excitedly dragged out, her brown eyes looking towards the other sister, Meimei. 

"I'm so happy to see you! I missed dressing you up for the day!" Meimei looked at Maomao with a look of care. "You were gone for a while, we were getting worried! Even if the Madam is too afraid to admit it, she misses you too." Meimei's lips quirked at the Madam's silent response. 

"Pairin, let go of me." Maomao muttered, as she wanted to look at her sisters face-to-face. 

"Fine..." Pairin didn't bother to hide her disappointment, but slipped her usual playfulness into the mix. The embrace was broken, by request.

"Do I have customers booked?" Maomao asked, hoping for a solid "no."

"No, but you do have things to do." The Madam sighed, taking her pipe out of her mouth. 

"Really?" She huffed in response. "Okay."

"Let me get you ready! In case you get any sudden customers!" Meimei said in a singsong tone, pulling Maomao up the stairs off to her room. Maomao tried not to drag her feet, to get the pulling to go by faster. 

"Wait up! We don't have to work until the afternoon today!" Pairin called, chasing after the two. Joka, who appeared out of nowhere, was right behind her plum-haired sister. 

-

Maomao was sitting in front of her fancy bedroom mirror, as Meimei grabbed supplies. Pairin and Joka were sitting nearby, drinking some tea, talking with each other.

Meimei began combing out Maomao's hair tenderly, making sure to be gentle on any knots, as she joined in the conversation at hand. 

Pairin put down her teacup and looked at her little sister. "Maomao! Tell us what happened while you were gone, will you?"

"Nothing really..."

"What do you mean nothing really?!" Pairin's voice hitched. "You were requested to go to the palace. R-E-Q-U-E-S-T-E-D! That's nothing to gloss over! Right?"

"I would like to know how it went." Joka added.

Joka, though the youngest, was the most responsible out of the three.  She's very gifted in poetry, both writing and reciting her poems to guests. Like Maomao, guests often visit her for education advice. The only difference is that Joka gets mostly visited by tutors, since her predictions on students' failure or success in the civil service exam has always ended accurately. Surprisingly, with the job she has, she sees all men as untrustworthy. When she's upset, the Madam has to check the letters Joka writes to her customers to make sure she isn't saying anything too harsh. She's the person who Maomao feels she relates to the most out of all of her sisters. 

Maomao sighed as she wiped off her freckles with her thumb. "Fine. But it isn't anything interesting." The princesses eyes all lit up like flashlights in the dead of night.

She made sure to only leave out the important information, since she didn't want to describe the visit word-for-word. "I got invited by a friend. Her name is Xiaolan. Now that I think about it, you guys would get along with her well. I was there to solve a poisoning scandal with this poisoned powder that was being applied to both of the Emperor's heirs and one of his consorts. I sorted that out, ran into some guy, and then I left." 

"Wait wait wait, back up!" Meimei's voice was filled with astonishment, as she was now shoving hair accessories into Maomao's soft hair. "First off, does that mean you actually met THE Emperor?"

"Well, yes, but we didn't really have a long conversation or anything like that. He only requested something of me, and I did as he asked."

Meimei wasn't buying it. "How are you not surprised by that? How can you keep a straight face talking about it? Shrugging it off...is it really not a big deal to you?" She shot out the questions like orders.

"Sis..." Maomao put her hands up in surrender. "It's nothing-"

"More importantly!" Pairin shouted, "Who is this 'some guy?' Is he... hot stuff?" She asked, clearly having not-too-pure intent.

The small girl replied deadpan. "No, he is definitely not your type, if that's what you're trying to ask." 

"Want to tell us what he is like?" Joka asked, protection seeping through her aloof tone.

"Yes! Tell us!" Meimei exaggerated, whilst lightly tugging on the green hued hair she was currently styling. Her persistence made Maomao finally give in.

What was he like? "He's... childish. He's like a sparkly leech."

Joka looked quite proud, as the other sisters looked at each other silently.

"That's...is there anything else? What does he look like, how about that?" Pairin was pulling straws at this point. She was trying to grasp any information she could get.

"He has long hair. It's purple-ish. I think." 

"You think." Pairin echoed.

"He honestly looks more like a woman than a man. If he were a woman, the nation would be done for." 

"So he's a pretty boy?" Meimei inquired, now applying blush to her cheeks. 

The makeup brush tickled at Maomao's cheek, as she eyeballed the mirror. "Is that the word?" Joka hummed a yes through her teacup, making the drink bubble up. "I guess so..."

"What does he do? Is he a soldier?" Pairin nudged.

"He's the manager of the Rear Palace. He's one of the eunuchs."

"So it's forbidden romance... Like a commoner and a noble!" Pairin fawned, "Like a knight in shining armor..."

"Now you're just describing one of your fantasies." Joka noted.

"My bad! I got carried away."

"I don't think any bloomy romance will happen between us."

"Awww, why?" Meimei pouted.

Maomao counted them on her fingers. "For one, he's annoying. Also, status. Plus, he already has all of the girls in the palace swooning."

"So he's a heartthrob." Joka grimaced as she spat the words out.

She full heartedly agreed. "Exactly. A heartthrob. He uses it like a tool. a single smile, and women start worshipping the ground he walks on! Pain in the ass..." One of her tiny hands balled up into a fist. 

"Relax your face! I need to finish your makeup." Meimei urged, as Maomao returned to her usual expression.

Joka's teacup echoed as it hit the tiny plate underneath it. "On a different note, I'm proud that you solved that case. You've always had a knack for mysteries." A soft smile went across her face. 

"Thanks, sis."

Meimei wiped Maomao's face a bit, before stepping back. "How does she look?" 

"She looks fabulous!" Pairin's motherly voice was encouraging. Joka nodded and let out a "mhm."

"Time for you all to get to work!" Shouted an old voice from the doorway, opening the door with a creeeeeeeaaaaaak! "Money waits on nobody." The old Madam told the girls, ushering them off. 

"Bye Maomao! Good luck today!" Pairin shouted.

"Byeeee!" Meimei smiled.

"See you, Maomao." Joka's quiet voice announced.

Maomao waved at them as the door shut, before letting out a long breath when she finally heard the door click. Hopefully today is a walk through the park. Seeing as nobody came into her room for the few seconds she sat in silence, she slipped something out from her pocket.

Medicinal herbs! Maomao grinned like a maniac. Good thing I snuck these in before I left home today! She laid the leaves on the table carefully, counting them up, being sure to take her sweet time. I sure do miss this... Maomao thought to herself. She giggled to herself, letting the smell of the herbs linger. 

"Hey! You aren't allowed up there!" Maomao heard a voice call, but it seemed like the other person wasn't listening, as loud footsteps pattered on the ground of the hall. What's up with that? 

"Get back here!" The voice shouted again, anger fueling. The sounds of shoes hitting the ground got closer and closer to Maomao, the sound hitting her eardrums loudly. A drop of sweat trickled down her forehead. Then, Maomao realized where the unknown person was headed toward.

It was coming toward her. 

The door swung open in a heap, and a little girl with black hair was standing at the doorway. She looked no older than 12, at the least. "You're the courtesan who knows about medicine, right?"

Chapter Text

MAOMAO POV

"You're the courtesan who knows about medicine, right?"

-

Maomao took a second to compose herself, pretending she didn't hear anything that happened before her door opened. "Yes, that's me. Why do you ask?"

The young girl in front of her had half of her hair down, as it only reached to her chin. The other half, in comparison, was put up in a bun style. She had bangs that covered most of her forehead.

The girl didn't respond, she only ran over to Maomao and grabbed her hand firmly. Without any words, she was pulled away from her room and rushed out of the Verdigris House.

"Get back here!" The old Madam's loud voice boomed again, disappearing into the distance the farther the apothecary was taken.

-

The scene was an unordinary one, for sure. A little girl rushing off in the district streets with a low ranked, and dressed up, courtesan. Unlike most times, where Maomao would be wearing her usual freckles and low maintenance outfit, many heads turned as their steps pattered their way through the people. 

When looking at her, you could tell that the girl was frantic. It was as if she was on a time limit, as she tugged Maomao forward violently. The catlike girl's face hardened when she realized that the situation at hand could be way more lethal than she'd initially thought. Because of that, Maomao tried to catch up to make the child's life easier.

She could hear both her and the little girl, who she still hadn't caught the name for, catching her breath at the same time, in ragged gasps as the pace decreased. 

-

"A...brothel?" Maomao heard her voice finally come back to her, as she muttered to herself. 

"Miss!" The little girl shrieked when they finally took a halt. "I brought the apothecary!" She then zoomed into the brothel, concern evident in her voice. 

A crowd of nervous women were standing in front of a door, all shaken. One of them looked their way and hastily responded, "O-oh! Uhm...over here." The woman frailly pointed toward the opened door, where fumes were rushing out of it. 

Maomao stood behind the girl, watching the situation play out until a certain smell hit her nostrils. This smell... She broke into a dash and flung the door open a bit more as she rushed into the room. 

The crime scene was sprawled in front of her, as clear as day. A man and woman were lying on a sloppily made bed, clearly struggling. Lying around the two unconscious people was a broken glass, two decanters of some kind of liquor, a pipe, a straw, and two different colored stains on the bed. Taking a double-take, there was also a small trace of tobacco. All I know is that they were most certainly not up to anything good... Maomao thought to herself. 

"I made her vomit a little, but..." One of the women inside the room told the apothecary, who smacked her own cheeks.

"It's not over yet!" Maomao yelped out, putting her hair in a ponytail, pulling out the big hair decorations she had on, putting them on a side table nearby. "He isn't breathing, and her breath is shallow." She announced, pacing toward the two people. "I'm going to check for obstructions in his throat! You," she looked over at the other woman. "Check her." The woman nodded and proceeded to do the same thing as Maomao was. 

Maomao put two fingers to the man's wrist. "No pulse." She opened the man's mouth. And his throat is clear. She decided to do compressions, pushing at the stomach with both of her hands. The only thing coming out of his mouth is saliva? Without a thought, she started doing CPR.

She overheard the other victim next to her start coughing, as the woman helping said to herself, "Oh, good!" Then, the woman looked over at the little girl and demanded, "Bring us some water!" In a hitched tone.

"Wait!" Maomao shouted. "Don't bring her water! We need charcoal!"

"O-okay!" The little girl scurried off. 

The green haired girl continued compressions, then stopping and wiping her forehead. She was offered a glass of water, which she gargled in her mouth and spat out the window. 

What a fuss, for so early in the morning... She thought to herself, drinking the rest of the water slowly.

A gentle poke was applied to her arm, from the younger girl from earlier. "Here's that charcoal you wanted." She said in a hushed tone, as if she was walking on eggshells. Sweat was trickling down her face. She must've ran to get it.

"Oh, thanks." Maomao looked back at the girl. "I'll also need something to write with, and something to write on."

"On it!" She ran off again. Returning in an instant, she handed Maomao the supplies she was asked to bring. 

"Thank you." Maomao quietly said. "Bring my father. He's in the field by the southern outer wall." If anyone knew what exactly this case was, it would be Luomen. He could solve most mysteries in an instant. "He'll know what's going on if you give him this." She handed back the wood she'd written on. I could really use a bath... She thought to herself. Maybe she'd take one when she got back to the Verdigris, if the lecture she'd get when coming back wasn't too long.

Luomen came wobbling through the doorway after a while, longer than it should've taken.

"Took the scenic route?" 

"Well," Luomen started, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. "This young lady was concerned about my legs."

Going back to business, Maomao held up the mortar. "I crushed the charcoal." She announced. 

"Let's mix it with the herbs right away, then get them to drink it." His tone was soft, but balanced. He'd probably seen something like this many more times than Maomao had. Which was the exact reason she requested him. He walked right next to the bodies, crouching down to observe them. "You did a good job treating them." He praised. "Maomao, do you have any idea what kind of poison this could've been?" And there it was. See, Luomen had a strategy of quizzing Maomao whenever he wanted to teach her something.

"Tobacco is easy to obtain. When eaten, the side effects immediately kick in, making you feel as if you're getting choked." Maomao recited from her memory. "It's also a common material for committing a lovers' suicide." 

"You held off giving them water?"

"Yes. I did. The effect is the opposite of what's expected, does it not?" She was getting weary of her procedure. Sometimes, Luomen was harder to read than he led on. 

He hummed a yes. "Gastric juices have the ability to prevent poison's absorption. So, drinking water would've only made the situation worse." Maomao let out an audible sigh of relief. "But, if the tobacco were to be dissolved in liquid first...it may have been best to dilute it further." That single sentence took her by surprise. I didn't see tobacco in either of their vomit. She locked the words she was told by her wise adoptive father into her memories. 

"Excuse me..." Peeped a childlike voice. Maomao turned her head to get a better view. It was the girl from earlier. "Tea is ready. Please, follow me." Her face seemed darker than when they first met. It felt soulless, ominous. She must've been in a really bad mood.

"Okay, got it. We'll be there in a moment." 

-

"I deeply apologize for this!" The manager of the brothel apologized for what felt like the hundredth time. "Come now, sit down. Don't be shy!"

A straw was placed next to Maomao's cup. Only Maomao and the manager’s. She recognized it in an instant. These straws were used by courtesans, like her, to make sure the rouge they wore didn't smudge on the cup. The manager daintily picked up the straw and sipped from the teacup, and Maomao mimicked it. 

"It's only our job," Luomen noted, waving his hand. 

"Please," The old woman had a look of guilt on her face as she handed Luomen a small bundle of money. "Take this." As long as he got paid... Maomao's brain told her. Luomen had a bad habit of not pricing his services right out of hospitality, and sometimes even forgetting to do so. It hasn't put him in the best financial state, so any ounce of money he gets is good enough. 

"Hey, Dad," Maomao pointed her index finger over to the room where the case was. "I'm going to check how they're doing." He nodded, and she excused herself.

When she opened the door... a horrifying sight was in front of her. 

The innocent girl who had grabbed Maomao to help one of the courtesans, the girl who had brought her charcoal and writing supplies, was now hunched over the man with a knife held tightly in her hands. Both of her arms were up in the air, the knife aimed towards the unconscious man. with evil intent. 

Maomao snatched the knife out of her hand as fast as she could, shouting in shock, "What are you doing?!" 

"Stay out of my way!" The young girl's voice rang. "This man doesn't deserve to live! He's better off dead !" The girl pointed toward him, her movements violent, as she reached out toward Maomao to try to get her hands back on the knife. In response, Maomao raised her arm with the weapon in it. Crap! My hands are tied... Suddenly, Maomao lowered her head quickly to headbutt the girl with a thunk!

  Tears flowed out of the young girl's eyes, as she loudly cried. A different woman rushed into the room, demanding an explanation. This is only getting worse... Maomao sighed.

"Please, don't tell anyone about this." The woman pleaded before explaining. Maomao nodded, eager for the logic. The little girl was now cuddling against the older woman, who was comforting her as she spoke. "Well, her older sister worked at a different place, and that man offered to buy out her contract. He even wrote a letter about it, saying sappy things that had her over the moon. Then, he suddenly backed out. Unable to bear it anymore, the sister decided to commit," she said the last word in a low whisper. "suicide." She continued, "He seduces women, offering to buy out their freedom, and then rejects the idea when he gets too bored. He's practically notorious for it. Many death threats have come his way because of that. But because his father is a wealthy merchant...money has always 'solved' these cases. This girl, she was also close to the woman who was poisoned today."

Oh...So I should feel bad and ignore her bloodlust because of that? She questioned herself. "Why not ban him, then?" 

"She was manipulated by his words too. And gossip around a courtesan luring a man into a lovers' suicide wouldn't go well." The food was more of a "thanks for not letting the rich man's son die on our watch!" thing, huh? 

"Understood." 

-

Maomao insisted on walking Luomen to their house before going back to work, and the two were now wandering their way back. 

"What did I miss?" Maomao muttered. "What if that wasn't all to it?"

"You shouldn't speculate out loud." Luomen responded. The face he gave her spoke louder than words. He'd already known the whole time what had happened, and Maomao was the only one in the dark. 

It wasn't a lovers suicide. It was an attempted murder. If the murder was successful, that courtesan would've ended up the murderer. But how would she have gotten him to drink the poison? her thoughts went back to the straw from earlier. The multiple drinks. Tobacco. All she had to do was drink it herself to prove its safety. It finally clicked.

Layering drinks was a way of entertaining someone, making an appealing looking concoction. So what if the woman layered those two drinks on each other?  She could've made the bottom layer safe, but the top lethal. She could've possibly dug the straw into the bottom to prove it to be only a fancy beverage. Then the man would drink it whole, with his mouth instead of a straw. After confirming he was unconscious, the tobacco comes in .Scattering the tobacco only covered the poisonous odor. To make it believable that she didn't do that to him, she drank a bit from the top too. Nothing too dangerous, of course. 

It made perfect sense. 

"Oh, here's your stop." Maomao said aloud, awakening from her thoughts.

Luomen smiled, waving at her. "Well then, I'll see you when you get home, right?" His stature wobbled a bit, his cane holding him still.

"Yes. Of course." Maomao nodded, waving. "Bye." She turned around and left. Hopefully I can get that bath in...

Chapter Text

JINSHI POV

A few days had passed since the apothecary returned back to the Pleasure District. Things basically went back to normal after she'd left. Admittedly, too normal. It was as if the poisoned powder incident had never happened, in fact. Nobody spoke of it, as if it were a curse to mention.

That meant that Jinshi, too, had to return to his usual routine. A fake and charming smile he'd trained since birth plastered on his face in public, honeyed words that were meaningless and hollow, it was nothing new for him.

As of now, one of the yearly Garden Parties was about to commence. Though Jinshi never cared for them, he was forced to attend due to his noble status. He had to be practically dragged out to the banquet garden by Gaoshun.

Garden Parties were no ordinary event. Twice a year, a banquet is held in the palace gardens for important guests. Normally, the Emperor would go to one with his Empress, but since the current Emperor has none at the moment, all of his highest ranking consorts are required to attend in her place. Along with that are ladies-in-waiting, soldiers, and other nobility. 

There is also entertainment at these banquets, consisting of dancing, and music. And one of the necessary procedures done every time, though it didn't really count as entertainment, poison tasting.

Garden Banquets are seen as, outside of what they were, a competition. Every move the consorts made had to be calculated, or carefully watched. These parties were a chance to prove themselves to the Emperor, and win favor. That meant everything and anything was a huge deal. Consorts would dress in outfits that looked as if they were made for them, and the ladies in waiting would wear matching uniforms that complimented their mistress without outshining her. As the consorts were focused on the Emperor, the ladies-in-waiting would be having catfights with each other the whole time. It was more common than it should be, but it was never stopped. 

The freezing breeze that swished his way made Jinshi shiver, as he internally wished there was a way to keep warm in this weather. He was currently standing away from the party with Gaoshun, trying to complain his way out of the Garden Party.

"Remind me why I have to be here..." He muttered to Gaoshun, who looked at him with an unamused look.

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Because you are required to attend regardless. Please, try to see the best out of it, just for today."

Jinshi rolled his eyes childishly. "If you insist, then I'll put in an effort."

Gaoshun only nodded silently. 

The purple haired man felt his hand go up to the silver hair stick, which was securely stabbed through his hair earlier in the morning. The silver felt cold, and added onto the chill he was already feeling. 

Hair sticks were important props to the palace. They were so much more than pretty accessories to add to someone's hairstyle. Hair sticks were handed out to show protection over someone, whether that is in friendship or anything more complicated than that. 

When he thought about it, someone immediately came to his head.

Forest green hair, beaded with red and blue evenly on each side filled his mind. She'd styled it in a bun, holding it with a flimsy sky blue ribbon, and left the two beaded chunks of hair rolling down her shoulders. A menacing glare that could be felt from miles away, accompanied by blued eyes that stared daggers into your soul. He could feel the rush of excitement coursing through his veins as he recalled her gaze. So cold yet so welcoming. Freckles dotted over the bridge of her nose, like constellations in the midnight sky. She wore a burgundy skirt, and green hanfu, which wasn't the best fashion choice, but she pulled it off in a way no other girl could. She barely tried to hide it, but she had a bandage going up one of her arms that she never referred to. He had many theories on the reason that the bandage was tightly wrapped around her arm, but pushed them to the back of his head. Someone who was so oblivious to him, yet left his heart racing. A foot below him, the girl would lean her head back to look his way. If he gave her his hair stick, what would she have thought? She'd probably eyeball it, he assumed, her thin eyebrow raised a bit. She always furrowed her brow whenever she saw him, as if he was a bug she could squash with the heel of her foot. She didn't look like a courtesan, like the serving girl she was close with mentioned. He couldn't believe it when he first met her. The way she acts and dresses is much more like a commoner than a woman of the high-end brothel. 

And though she seemed as ordinary as all of the other serving girls, she was one to be feared. After seeing the way she had smacked a lady-in-waiting of the Crystal Pavilion to the ground, she could be scary when she wanted to be. She could assert her dominance in a situation with ease, barking orders to a bunch of ladies in an instant. It was clear she grew up in the Pleasure District. He smiled to himself at the thought.

She also had a guarded yet soft heart. The way the apothecary's eyes softened when looking at Xiaolan, her serving girl friend, was the look of an older sister. She also made it clear that she cared a lot about Xiaolan, even if she seemed to be in denial about it. He'd never seen one of those smiles, but if he did his heart would probably soar. It was admirable, their bond. It reminded Jinshi of him and Basen, Gaoshun's son. Sometimes, he wished she looked at him with those softened sapphire eyes. 

He'd spoken to Xiaolan about her after she left, not too much. He only asked if she got any word from the freckled girl. Xiaolan's only response was a bright smile and a: "Not yet! But she promised to write to me at some point this month!"  He wished he could read her letters sometime, too. He wondered how she wrote, and he would've read it down to the last word. Knowing that Xiaolan was illiterate, maybe he could offer to read it to her and see for himself. 

"Master Jinshi," Gaoshun said sternly, and Jinshi assumed he'd repeated himself multiple times at that point. 

"Sorry, what was that?" He chuckled nervously.

"Were you thinking of Xiaomao again?" That nickname always managed to make him laugh. It fit so perfectly, with how petite she was for someone her age. Jinshi also had noticed that Gaoshun talked about Maomao like she was his daughter sometimes, and the nickname "Xiaomao" was an addition to that statement.

Jinshi's eyes widened at Gaoshun's theory. "How could you tell?" He could feel his cheeks slightly heat up. 

"You talk about her often," Gaoshun began. "Even Suiren noticed." Suiren was an elder lady who was Jinshi's head, and only, lady-in-waiting, who had been alongside him for as long as he had known. She tended to baby him, giving into his childish personality, but that was besides the point. "And you didn't do that good of a job of concealing it."  His attendant added with a deadpan look on his face.

"W-well..." He averted the older man's gaze, "Let's head to the Garden Party." He saved himself enough time before he gave in from humiliation. 

-

As the two men slid to the party, Jinshi overheard Lady Gyokuyou's lady-in-waiting, Yinghua, mutter, "I bet Maomao would've come up with something to beat this freezing day..." Some of the other Jade Pavilion girls nodded with her.

The Garden Party had reached its taste testing portion. A lineup of food tasters, along with the four consorts, sat in rows on a small elevated platform. Food had been placed in front of all of them, with a smooth tap to the table.

A look of sheer horror passed one of the girl's faces, as her face turned as white as paper. 

Jinshi's face tightened as he watched how mortified everyone up there looked. Food tasting was a disgusting tradition to him. He understood it was required for the Imperial family's safety, but it still was horrible for anyone to lay their sights on. He looked away, trying to keep his face balanced.

Before he could calm himself, he heard a rasped voice shout out, "This...this is poison!" The girl's voice hitched as she began to cough, trying to clear the poisoned food from her throat, before she stopped moving at all and fell to the ground. Then, things only spiraled downward.

A shriek was let out from Consort Lishu, who ran off of the stage in fear.

The banquet erupted into concerned screams and people were running all over the place. Some people were trying to help the paralyzed poison taster, others were scurrying off as if the paralysis was contagious. All of the decorations were toppling over, vases shattering. The rear palace doctor was trying as hard as he could to help in the moment, but he was too scared to even touch the body. 

It suddenly felt much colder. Jinshi stood in place with a shocked expression on his face, trying to process the situation. His throat felt dry.

Gaoshun stood next to him, at the same loss of words.

Jinshi hadn't seen this coming at all. He couldn't decide what he was supposed to do at the moment, so his feet stayed planted on the hard ground, which was only meters away from the scene unfolding.

"We need a professional. Right away." 

Chapter Text

MAOMAO POV

Maomao didn't hesitate to take her time when walking back to the Verdigris House.

Her pine hued ponytail swished in the crisp breeze, the beads in her hair clacking against each other lightly. Her footsteps were fogged out with the usual noise in the district, that Maomao had grown to not mind.

The glow of the lights being cast on the streets was enough of an indicator that Maomao needed to quicken her pace. She began to speed walk, keeping herself alert as always. Knowing she had no freckles painted on her face, she knew that the risk of getting involved in some sort of trouble was pretty high. The few herbs that lingered in her pocket sleeve were crushed, to the point where they could pass as grains of salt. She eventually broke into a run, remembering the lecture that would be awaiting her. Better to get it over with now than later. 

-

The sparkly high-class brothel was shining in Maomao's face like a huge lantern. Sometimes, she regretted starting her career at the Verdigris House due to it being so famous, but luckily she wasn't as popular as her older sisters. She enjoyed her alone time. Taking a sharp sigh, she mentally prepared herself for the chaos that she was about to endure. 

Taking a glance to the left, she saw an abnormally large carriage-like vehicle outside. Is someone being bought out? The thought rang in Maomao's head. She picked to ignore it, and trudged her way to the front doors, opening them like she lived there. She technically did, but it was part-time. "I'm back." She said to no one in particular. 

A familiar old hag entered her eyeshot. Maomao had the urge to let out a long sigh, but decided to keep quiet. "And where were you?" The old voice asked her with angry urgency, as she pulled her pipe out of her mouth. She then placed it back in place after speaking.

She opened her mouth to reply, but before a word could come out, Pairin came rushing toward the two. "Maomao! We were worried out of our minds!" Though Pairin was known for reasons that weren't too pure, she had a strong mother's instinct. Even the tone of her voice could make someone able to see that. Maomao had always seen her as a mother in the first place, and it seemed her sister only played into the role over time. 

"Good afternoon, Pairin." 

The plum haired woman threw her arms around Maomao in an instant. "You were gone for basically the whole day! What were you doing?"

"You might want to let go of me. I got my clothes dirty." She told her sister, deadpan. 

"Be lucky you had no customers!" The old Madam reminded. "How'd you ruin your clothes this time? Out picking plants again?"

Maomao shook her head. "No, not that." She put up her hands in mock surrender, "It's...spit. Or vomit." Was it okay that she lost track of which one? 

"What." A shocked voice asked from behind them. One that Maomao never heard from the Verdigris House. She looked past her sister, and saw the celestial nymph she had finally thought she got away from. There goes that bath Maomao was planning on having.

"Master Jinshi? What's he doing here?" She asked her sister, not even trying to hide her hatred anymore.

"Hello to you too..." He pouted childishly, as Gaoshun, who was beside him, waved at Maomao.

"He's here for you! He came while you were...getting vomit on yourself, and I kept him company since I had no customers." Now that was something Maomao never thought she'd hear. Jinshi and Pairin? If they had an heir, the whole nation would be in shambles. "You still need to explain about that."

"To put it shortly, some people got poisoned at another brothel, that little girl from earlier took me to help, and I did. And you know how all of those end up..." She didn't feel like explaining any further.

"Is that what happened to your hair accessories?"

"Oh...hair accessories..." Maomao tried to act like she'd never heard of them in her life, but gave up halfway through. "...I kind of left them there." 

"Maomao!" Pairin lightly scolded.

"My bad..."

She couldn't tell if the heavenly eunuch was looking for attention or if he was genuinely worried as he gasped, "Someone got poisoned?"  

"Yes, Master Jinshi. Someone did. But nobody died. You came to talk to me, right? Will it take a while?"

"Probably." Gaoshun spoke for his master.

Maomao nodded. "So, I'm gonna go get this vomit off of me, and then I'll sort whatever happened out. Pairin, would you mind keeping him some company until I get back?" 

Pairin smirked devilishly. "Of course! Don't take too long." 

"Wasn't planning on it." 

-

"Sorry for my sister. She's a little overly friendly." Maomao had finished making herself presentable, and was sitting in her room along with Jinshi, and Gaoshun was standing nearby. 

"No, it's fine. She's nice." He waved his hand.

"If you insist. Did she say anything dumb to you?"

Jinshi took a few seconds to answer. "She did say something."

Who was she kidding, of course Pairin did. "Of course she did."

"Well, I asked her about your freckles. Since, you know, they're gone. And she told me you never had freckles to begin with." He was tapping at his nose, pointing to where her freckles were. Maomao internally facepalmed. 

She groaned. "Oh."

"What did she mean?" He asked, not bothering to be polite about it.

There's no way to escape this fate now, so might as well. "Let me explain." Her face turned into a cold and serious one. "I've lived in the Pleasure District since I was young, so I had to learn that nobody was trustworthy outside of family at a young age. When leaving the brothel to run errands or go home, some prior customers are lurking who haven't been satisfied. That means that a short and skinny girl is a perfect target, if she looks borderline marketable. That's how half of serving girls end up in the palace,"

"Were you ever harmed?"

"No, luckily. Though attempts were made. By mixing clay and oil, I made my freckles, which I apply to my face with a brush daily. Since freckles are considered ugly, it keeps me safe from any of those attempts ending up successful, to put it simply."

The silence was deafening. At that moment, Maomao wished she was as talkative as Meimei or Pairin.

He finally found words, and had an...oddly serious look on his face. It felt odd to her, and something she doubted she’d get used to quickly. "I'm...so sorry, Apothecary. I wish we could've patrolled them better."

"There's no need to apologize, it isn't your fault. I don't really care, either." Maomao shrugged. "On another note, why is it that you went through all of the trouble to buy some time with me?" 

"Remember that garden party I brought up before you left?"

"Mhm?" Maomao nodded curiously. 

"One of the necessary protocols at every garden party is poison tasting," Someone must've hit a light switch, since Maomao's face started to light up at the word "poison." Jinshi cleared his throat and continued, "During this, someone got poisoned."

"Oh?" Maomao egged him on to continue.

"And when I thought of someone who could possibly help with the case, I remembered how you saved the heir and one of the consorts. So, I went to get you." 

"He was very adamant about getting you strictly." Gaoshun added from the sidelines.

Maomao raised an eyebrow. "There are no doctors that have my same skill? I'm only an apothecary."

The long haired man laughed nervously. 

"Did you even check?" Was he that stupid? 

He shook his head. So she was right. He was too lazy to look for a professional.

She stared at him with her sapphire eyes, as if he were an insect. Sitting there, confused, she finally softly answered, "I can try to sort something out."