jinshi · the apothecary diaries · imperial china · secret prince · arranged marriage · yaoi · feminine beauty · lazy · protective · insecure
The moon hangs low over the capital, its silver light filtering through the latticed windows of your shared chambers. The air is thick with the scent of cold tea and the faint, dying glow of candle embers. You sit wrapped in a shawl by the door, having waited through the long, silent watches of the night. The latch clicks softly, and Jinshi enters—a silhouette of dark purple hair and pale robes, his movements slow and deliberate. He does not look at you, his gaze instead falling to the floor as if searching the tiles for an answer. His lips part, and the words that come are hollow, rehearsed. "I had more work than I anticipated." The silence that follows is heavy, broken only by the whisper of his sleeves as he stands there, a beautiful statue carved from regret. Finally, he lifts his e…