Jinshi and Maomao Short Stories Collection

Stay with me! Part 2

Notes:

Here comes the second chapter! (A day earlier, because I had a day off this week)While I was working on it, I got some more ideas for this ff in general and realized that......three chapters won't be enough!As things stand now, it will probably come to five chapters + an epilogue!

"Please come in. She's still asleep. I have cleaned her up and changed her into sleepwear. "

Being received by Suiren, Jinshi and Gaoshun entered the young noble's chambers. Approximately an hour had passed since Jinshi had gotten the news that his apothecary would recover just fine.

"Thank you, Suiren," he replied quietly and managed to show her a little smile. His worry wasn't entirely gone, but at least he had finally managed to calm down somehow, knowing that Maomao was alive and in the best hands he could ever imagine.

He couldn't wait to see her, to verify with his own eyes that she was alright... however... he still hesitated slightly as he approached the bed, a bit afraid of what he would see.

The image of her swollen cheek and eye and all that blood was still burnt into his memory... He felt as if he would never be able to forget that sight for as long as he lived.

With his heart starting to beat a bit faster once more, he finally reached the bed, and his aide and chief lady-in-waiting promptly assumed their usual positions right behind him.

There she was!

Jinshi's breath hitched when he saw her lying there in his bed. Part of her head and the entire right side of her face were covered by bandages, and he could imagine that her leg wasn't looking any better. That sight made his heart ache, and he wanted nothing more than to throw himself at her and hug her tightly. The urge was so strong that he even unconsciously lifted his arms, ready to wrap them around her body, but...

But Maomao looked even smaller than usual now, so frail and so vulnerable, that he restrained himself, putting his arms down again. The fear of accidentally hurting her, of breaking her, was just too big.

However, despite everything, Jinshi felt that he still needed to touch her in order to convince himself that she was really there, and that it wasn't just his mind playing tricks on him. Thus, he quickly grabbed a chair and put it right next to the bed, then sat down and took Maomao's left hand, holding it in both of his own. Soothed by the feeling of her pulse, he looked at her face again.

And then brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

Her mouth twitched slightly in her sleep, and her other hand, that was lying on the blanket, balled into a fist. The young noble froze for a moment, fearing that he had woken her up, but relaxed again once he saw that this wasn't the case.

Before heading to his chambers, he had taken off his ceremonial hat, letting his hair down again, and washed his face with cold water, because Gaoshun had insisted and also because Jinshi hadn't wanted to worry Suiren more than necessary. But now, a few fresh tears started to burn in his eyes that were still a bit puffy from all the crying earlier, and rolled down his cheeks at the sight of Maomao moving.

She wasn't like a lifeless doll anymore, thank goodness!

Jinshi carefully placed his right hand on her head and started to slowly stroke her hair, while continuing to hold her small hand with his other one.

"Sleep, apothecary. Everything's going to be alright. Just sleep," he muttered.

Maomao relaxed again, as though she had heard his words.