Chapter Text
Maomao had been rehearsing on her head how to finally give Jinshi an answer to his proposal, knowing she had to check his brand, all she could do is wait to be called, and ponder if she was making the right decision, it had been little over three months since she heard him tell the Emperor and Empress Gyokuyou that only his wife would know about it. She felt as though this was just meant to happen, just how long could Mao-mao keep avoiding it to no end was not something she was keen to find out.
She had found a slightly secluded corner of the annex to just sit and think for a second, with the trip and her surgery practice she hadn’t had the time to just think in quite a while, and think about the Yes she was about to utter, she didn’t doubt Jinshi would understand pretty fast what she meant, she was banking on it even, Maomao didn’t want to spend her time explaining herself when there were more important caveats she needed to mention.
When she returned to the medical offices, it seemed like no one had noticed her being gone, but the quack was nowhere to be seen, cursing her luck, she hurried towards Jinshi’s room, catching him and Lihaku mid way. “Little lady” the quack held a hand to his chest and trembled, “Gave us a scare when we couldn’t find you, but we couldn’t make the Moon Prince wait”
“No worries, I was just taking a small stroll, time flew by'' and that was that as they had arrived to their destination, she expected to see Basen after seeing him arrive just the day before, but she bet he was surprised to see her so soon and with the quack as well who was done as fast as usual with his evaluation of Jinshi’s health, which is what she was here for, to catch anything the quack might be too incompetent to see.
“Maomao if you could stay behind for a moment” asked Suiren saving her from having to make a excuse to stay behind, not that the master physician seemed to care what she did anyways as he and Lihaku quickly left the room, that evening it was only Suiren and Gaoshun in the room with Jinshi after Basen left to guard from the outside of the room, something that probably was discussed beforehand.
She squared her shoulders and without a word followed an equally silent Jinshi who knew better than to make any excuses to the two people with them who knew about the branding. He quickly divested of his robe allowing Maomao to remove his bandages and clean up his wound, happy with the speed it had been healing, after applying a salve and redoing the bandages, she finally decided to speak up.
“Master Jinshi, I have an answer for you” she was finishing cleaning up her bandages and unused items, and acted impulsive, for once in her life “It’s a yes” and she made to turn around and leave his quarters when a hand gripped her wrist making her look back “Maomao, don’t joke with me” he looked surprised, she didn’t usually manage to surprise him, so seeing him like this almost felt new to her.
She gripped the hand over her wrist, until it came loose, and did something that surprised the both of them and intertwined their fingers together, “I mean it, I have a few conditions, but I’m sure Master Jinshi will agree” she felt herself begin to flush, as he laid a kiss on the back of her hand “What changed? Why now?” her mouth dried, and her arms trembled a little “I think I changed, the idea of you being made to marry someone else made me angry for the first time” she sighs “I still think I’m just a simple apothecary and not enough to be his Majesty the Imperial brother bride, but Master Jinshi had already made up his mind hadn’t he?”
Jinshi smiled, a true genuine smile and tried to pull her closer “Maomao I promise to do anything that will make you happy, no matter what condition you have, I’ll do it for you” compared to her reaction just a few weeks back when they had been in Anan, she let herself be pulled into a hug easily, thankful that it would hide her flush, and hoping Jinshi couldn’t feel the way her heart was beating in her chest, she hoped he wasn’t trying to distract her from laying out her conditions, with the way he kept holding onto her like he never wanted to let her go, it made her blush even harder thinking that while this might be the first embrace of many to come.
“I’ll hear your conditions now” he mumbled against her neck petulantly, like a child not wanting to let go of his favorite toy.
“Well” she bites her lip lightly “I know what saying yes entails, and for when we have a child, I’ll need blank paper books, and somewhere to keep the placenta and umbilical cord after I give birth” maybe she could get En’en to suggest and cook something to accompany the placenta with.
She was pulled away from Jinshi’s chest, so she looked at him confused, and put a hand on his forehead since he was dangerously red. “Do you have a fever, is there something wrong with your wound, should I check it again?” he opened and closed his mouth looking bewildered. “You are not planning on eating that are you?” Maomao looked away and let go of his hand.
“I think I heard Suiren call me” she answers and scuttles away before Jinshi can react, leaving him open-mouthed in bed, wondering if everything that just happened, had actually happened.