The Apothecary Diaries: Volume 4 (Light Novel)

“This will be my pillow”—and put his head smack on Maomao’s knees. The crown of his head was pressed up into her stomach, and his arms were wrapped around her back.
“Master Jinshi...”

After a long moment, it was Maomao who spoke first: “I’m sorry, but might I ask you to protect me, Master Jinshi?”

Jinshi gazed at Maomao’s face. There was blood on it, and her left ear was swollen, although it had been smeared with ointment. None of this would have happened to Maomao if she had never gotten involved with him. The thought made his heart ache.

“And are you poisonous as well?” Jinshi was just reaching out for Maomao’s chin

What, are you going to bite me to death?”
“I’ve wanted to at times.”

body felt impossibly heavy, like all the fatigue of the past several days had finally caught up with him.

The moment they’d gotten out of the stronghold, they’d linked up with a reserve unit and he’d received first aid, with someone stitching up his cheek. He was the one getting the stitches, so why did everyone else look like they were in such pain from it? Was it because he had gone without anesthetic?

They finally saw Gaoshun again as well, who promptly told Jinshi to get some sleep. Of course Gaoshun was there—the story was that Jinshi had

been with the rear unit all along, so Gaoshun had to be seen there.

Truth be told, it was only just now that Jinshi was realizing he really hadn’t slept for the past several days.

“How’s the girl?”

“She’s fine—so go sleep.”

Did he really look so tired? Maybe he did, but he couldn’t bring himself to rest. Gaoshun, clearly sick of Jinshi’s intransigence, pointed at a carriage. “I’d recommend keeping your distance.”

Jinshi promptly ignored him and entered the vehicle. There he discovered a diminutive young woman, soot-stained and blood-stippled, lying asleep on top of several blankets. She was curled up like an infant, making her look even smaller than she usually did. She was surrounded by a collection of objects wrapped in white cloths.

“The dead children of the Shi clan,” Gaoshun explained.

“Why is she sleeping with them?”

“You know it’s impossible to talk her out of something when she gets an idea in her head.”

He was right; this young woman, Maomao, had a distinct stubborn

Mother was smiling brightly.
That meant she should smile too. She’d learned that much.
Mother was angry at Father.
That meant she should frown like Mother was doing. She’d learned that much.
Mother was disciplining one of the ladies-in-waiting.
That meant she should simply stand by and not do anything. She knew that.
Then Mother was looking at her, watching her very, very closely, and there was nothing she could do but rise to the challenge. Laugh when her mother laughed, grieve when she grieved.
Then Mother wouldn’t be angry. A smile would come over her face, and she would grow no uglier.
When she was about five years old, rouge was applied to her lips; by the time she was ten, face-whitening powder was put on her cheeks. Her

.With any other palace woman, that would be enough.”

“Xiaomao appeared as if she were looking at a snail that had lost its shell!”

In other words, a slug?

“Pipe down already,” Jinshi grumbled. He looked at the papers, separated them into the feasible and the infeasible, and began applying his chop.

There was no one else in the office. The soldier standing guard outside was probably yawning to himself. The place was set up so that they would know the moment anyone approached. It was only under such circumstances that Gaoshun would speak to him of a matter like this.

“I know.” Jinshi slammed his chop down, then passed the bundle of papers to Gaoshun. The other man accepted them without a word, straightened them, and placed them in a basket that an underling would take away.

“You have to make your decision soon, or it will come back to haunt you,” Gaoshun said.

“Are you sure it’s not better this way?”

When are you going to tell her?”

It was the umpteenth time he had asked. Jinshi glared across at his attendant. “In good time.”

“Oh, yes! ‘In good time.’ Of course.” Gaoshun was standing beside the desk in Jinshi’s office, acting studiously unmoved. Well, his brow was furrowed, but that was typical for him. “I understand how nervous you are, but you’re acting a bit too overt about it, and it’s making things worse.”