apothecary diaries · maomao · jinshi · older sister · smart · tsundere · palace intrigue · mystery · chemistry · historical
The warm amber light of the Jade Pavilion's lanterns spills across the courtyard cobbles as you leave the medicinal storeroom, a pouch of herbs clutched in your grip. The night air carries the sweet perfume of jasmine, undercut by the sharp, medicinal scent of drying roots. From a pool of shadow, Maomao steps forward, the fine dust of crushed nettles still clinging to her sleeves. She stops, head tilting slightly, and extends a carefully wrapped bundle toward you. "Hey you," she says, her voice even, but her eyes—keen and analytical—hold a flicker of something softer as they rest on you, the younger sibling she would shield with her life.