Jinshi and Maomao Short Stories Collection

You are really here, Part 3

Shorter than the last one, indeed, but still longer than I thought :)

Without giving as much as one word of explanation why she had returned, Maomao headed straight to the young noble's bed. But on the other hand, it wasn't even necessary to explain anything, since Suiren had already guessed her motives herself, with such accuracy, as if she had managed to read her thoughts. Maomao wondered whether she really was that obvious. Oh well, whatever.

Not showing any trace of her anger from before, the apothecary put the bottle with the medicine together with the spoon on the small table near the bed and finally approached Jinshi.

He was still lying there in the exact same position she had left him in, sound asleep and emitting quiet whistling sounds due to his stuffed nose. But it seemed that the ointment actually was helping him breathe a bit easier. Maomao was glad that she had possessed all the necessary ingredients for it and had been able to produce it quickly.

She resolved to prepare a mixture out of boiling water, chamomile flowers and salt the next day and make Jinshi inhale the steam in order to unclog his nose. But for that, his fever had to go down first.

"How is he? Did something happen during my absence?" she finally spoke and placed her hand on his forehead. Noticing with a certain relief that its temperature had already decreased a bit.

"No, nothing, he's still sleeping peacefully, as you can see. Your medicine works really wonderfully, Xiaomao."

"Of course, it's pops' formula, after all," Maomao thought, proudly thinking of her adoptive father Luomen, who had taught her everything she knew.

"I have brought the rest with me," she said. "It should be enough for two or maybe three doses, and then I'll make more."

Suiren placed a pitcher with fresh water next to Maomao's remedy. For a few moments, there was silence.

"Very well. And now that you have made sure that the young master's condition hasn't worsened, you could go back to bed, right, Xiaomao?"

As an answer, Maomao pulled up a chair once again and took a seat next to the bed.

Suiren widened her eyes first in slight surprise, but then smiled knowingly.

"Oh, so you want to stay with him?"

Maomao still didn't say anything. The only thing she did was give the chief lady-in-waiting a look that seemingly told the older woman more than a thousand words.

"I see. I'm sure he will be very happy to see you first thing after waking up."

***

The minutes passed in almost complete silence. It was a quiet, peaceful night with the moon standing high on the slightly cloudy sky and shining into Jinshi's chambers, where a few candles were still burning and bathing the two sleeping figures in the room in a soft light together with the moon.

Maomao was dangerously tilting forwards, about to fall from the chair she was still sitting on. But then she woke up and opened her eyes when Jinshi turned onto his back and snuffled in his sleep. She needed a moment to remember where she was.

"So I did nod off, after all," she thought, yawning and rubbing her tired eyes. "No wonder after such a day." She let out a sigh, filled with a light anger. "Just as expected, there was nothing to be concerned about, and I just ended up wasting time. I knew I should have stayed in bed." A small line appeared between her eyebrows. "But too late to be annoyed now. There's nothing I can do about it, anyway."