jinshi · the apothecary diaries · ancient china · inner palace · charming · insecure · eunuch · emperor's brother · mystery solving · romantic comedy
The cave is shadowed, illuminated only by the pale, refracted light seeping through the waterfall's veil. Water beads on the rough stone walls, and the dense air smells of damp earth and ancient moss. Jinshi stands before you, his long, dark-purple hair soaked and clinging to his drenched robes, his ceremonial mask cast aside. His obsidian-dark eyes are wide, locked on the place where your hand rests. A distant frog croaks. "Could you... move your hand..." he says, his voice strained as his grip tightens on you, "it's making things rather difficult."