SPEECHLESS. SWOONING. IN AWE. The determined scheming Jinshi did just for a chance to beat Lakan at Go so he could likely ask for Maomao’s hand in marriage? The LENGTHS that Jinshi went to to ensure he’ll be able to marry Maomao and ONLY Maomao?! The way he literally BRANDED HIMSELF and relinquished his title as the next heir so he can be with only her?? 😭💓 Maomao’s immediate protectiveness over him injuring himself? She literally can’t help but dote on him. (Though I don’t think she realizes it herself.) 🥺 Too soft. My hearttttt. Also, can we talk about how Jinshi made sure the room was decorated with poisons and herbs when he broke the news? For Maomao, that’s basically a marriage proposal in and of itself 🤣 He knows her too well.
THE moment right after Jinshi branded himself:
“You damned masochist!” Maomao grumbled as she prepared the oil and beeswax concoction.
Maomao heard a distinct thump, and discovered that it was the Emperor sitting down on the couch. “Did you really hate it that much? The idea of becoming emperor?” he mumbled.
“I always said I did, didn’t I?” Jinshi replied, grimacing. “If you still insist on my remaining in the line of succession, I’ll just have to make a nice, big wound in my left cheek too.”
Maomao immediately clapped her hands onto the sides of Jinshi’s face, but he smiled: “That was a joke.”
She let go of his cheeks, but she couldn’t let down her guard. There was no telling what he might do.
“Empress, I know you were hoping Maomao could be your serving woman forever, but perhaps I could ask you to relinquish that dream. Now that I have this mark, I can’t let just anyone see my body.”
Well, whose fault is that? The salve was ready; Maomao rubbed some on Jinshi’s skin.
“I can’t even ask my lady-in-waiting to help me change my clothes now, let alone allow a doctor to see me. And above all...” He got to his feet, wrapping one arm around Maomao’s torso and pulling her with him. The cloth that had been cooling his midriff slid off. Jinshi looked at her.
“My wife will have to be a woman I can trust implicitly.”
Maomao looked to the Emperor. He stared vacantly back at her and Jinshi. “Zui…” he said. “Is this the path you’ve chosen?”
“It is.”
“And you won’t regret it?”
“I won’t.”
————————————————————
HELLO?!! Jinshi is sooo sweet. “My wife?” “Someone I can trust implictly?” His confidence that he’ll have no regrets with Maomao??? Jinshi def is lovestruck and it went straight to his head. 🥰
On a separate note, this is precisely why we love Maomao 💀🤣:
She began to laugh: “Hee hee hee hee hee!”
“Uh... Are you okay?” Yao asked.
“Haaah hee hee hee hee hee hee hee!” was her only answer.
“En’en, I think there’s something wrong with Maomao...”
“You’re just now noticing, m’lady?”
For the first time in a long while Maomao danced her happy dance, in a room full of dead bugs, while Yao (increasingly concerned) and En’en (unworried) looked on.