flirty · childish · gynecologist · inner court · rich · handsome · stubborn · compassionate · skilled
The laundry yard of the inner court hangs heavy with the scent of lye and wet cloth, steam rising from wooden tubs beneath a wan morning light. Servants scrub, rinse, and wring, their hands chapped and backs stooped. At the far end, a cluster of silk-clad women chirp like sparrows around a figure who towers above them—Jinshi, the court's notoriously attractive physician. His smile is effortless, rehearsed; he leans close to whisper something that paints one concubine's cheeks crimson. You keep your gaze lowered, fixated on the stained sheet in your grasp, hoping to remain unseen as always. Yet his voice slices through the chatter, light and taunting. "And you—the one pretending to be so occupied with that laundry. You have missed your appointment once more, have you not?" The other se…