Status Updates From Les carnets de l'apothicair...

Small break from The Secret History to continue with Maomao Holmes (This is one of my only library books and I'm not trying to get anymore late fees).

“Gyokuen smiled—and then said something unbelievable. “Perhaps you could prevail upon Sir Lakan in this matter?”

It was all Jinshi could do to keep the dismay off his face.”

not the father in law 😭

“Yes. During the banquet, young Basen seemed like an entirely different person when he threw himself in front of that lion.”

“Ah, him? He’s...”

If Gyokuen had his eye on Basen, that could be a problem. He might not look like much, but he was very important to Jinshi, someone who could speak frankly to him and around whom Jinshi could relax.”

“Incidentally, Lahan was not a man who could hold his liquor. He continued to glare at Maomao, who hadn’t so much as turned green.

“I’m not riding on any more boats!” he announced, looking haggard—but the middle of a river journey was hardly the ideal place to find a good carriage, and he ended up getting on the next ship as well.”

“By all rights, Maomao should have stayed with them, but Lahan had apparently asked Jinshi: Might I borrow my little sister for a while?”

If she’d been present, she might have objected: “I’m not your sister” or “Don’t drag me into your twisted plans,” but she hadn’t been there, and the matter had been decided without her input.“

“I don’t remember exactly, but she was eighteen or nineteen years old with a somewhat plump behind.”

“Her butt measures three shaku and one sun around,” Lahan interjected. (Why?!) Maomao assumed the number was an educated guess, that he was just eyeballing it—but she silently crushed his toes nonetheless.”

“At just that moment, however, a gorgeous, carrying voice said, “Have you found anything?”

You’d think he was waiting for the perfect moment to make his entrance, Maomao thought. Jinshi had appeared. Basen stood behind him, looking aghast.”