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.

should hope not. Perhaps you could tell him what really brought you here, then. Politely.” Luomen patted Lakan on the shoulder.

Silently, Lakan turned toward Jinshi. Then he got up, knelt before Jinshi, and pressed his fist into his palm in a gesture of respect. “I come in supplication. I humbly request that you mobilize the army to strike against the rebel, Shishou.”

Lakan was a grand commandant, in other words, a secretary of military affairs. Jinshi understood what it meant for such a person to ask for the army to be mobilized.

en the door was thrown open.

“Might I ask what you’re doing in here?” The question came from none other than the monocled strategist.

“Ah... Father.” Lahan, who had looked so confident until a moment before, frowned, folded up the map on the desk, and pursed his lips.

“Lahan, you can’t just go barging into the offices of noblemen! People will get the wrong idea. Strange ideas!” So saying, Lakan helped himself to a spot on the office couch, the one he’d had brought here himself on one of his previous incursions. He had yet to take it back, and so it still sat there.

“Particularly when no one can tell if the noble you’re visiting is a man or a woman,” he went on maliciously. Basen, standing beside Jinshi, was about to step forward and offer a few choice words of his own, but Gaoshun held out a hand to stop him.

They understood why Lakan was angry. His daughter had been abducted from under their noses, right out of the

“Here.” The young woman took a hair stick from the folds of her robe.
“What’s this?”
“Payment in kind. You want it?”
“Hmmm...” The man squinted at her and took it. Whatever this hair stick was, it wasn’t likely to be worth much.

“Master Jinshi?” She crouched down and shook his shoulders. Huh, she thought, actually, maybe I can just call him Jinshi now.
While she was thinking it over, though, Jinshi said, “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.

“Check this out! I know you wanted one of these!” There was Chou-u, looking terribly pleased with himself. He was holding a lizard above his head.
“Ooh! You got one!” Maomao slipped past Jinshi, whose head drooped dejectedly, and grabbed the lizard, depositing it directly into a jar.
“Huh? What’s that guy doing on the floor?”
“He’s very tired from work. Here, your reward.” Maomao gave him a chunk of brown sugar. Chou-u went running off again.

Maomao was just wondering what was with this man when she found him embracing her.
Jinshi smirked. “Now, where were we?”

“I know it takes more than a little toxin to bother you.”
He bit harder. It started to hurt a little, and she smacked him on the back. He only bit down harder still, and before she could stop herself Maomao pounded him soundly on the shoulders. Finally she felt his lips move away from her neck. A string of saliva stretched between them for a good shaku before it finally snapped.