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“Everyone was smiling and sipping wine, but deep in their eyes the emotions burned—ambition in the eyes of the men, jealousy in those of the women.

It wasn’t lost on Maomao that this could be why Jinshi had brought her along: to show her what it was like to attend a function with the Emperor’s younger brother, and not as his serving lady, as she’d done before.”

“The silver hair stick sat on the table.

Hm...

Maomao didn’t put it on her head, but used a simple tie to hold back her hair. She did, though, place the hair stick in the folds of her clothes to make sure she wouldn’t lose it.”

“Basen...”

Yes, he was right. And if Jinshi did it with Basen, well, on some level, it didn’t count, did it? That must be what the young man was thinking. Well, but—no, wait. Something was off here.

“Skill I may lack, but I’m confident in my stamina, how much I can endure,” Basen said.

“St-Stamina? I really don’t think...”.

“‘So many at once’? I think you’re overestimating me.” Jinshi hadn’t expected quite such a direct answer. He smiled sardonically to hear himself described as if he were crazed with lust. Come to think of it, Basen had been going to the pleasure district in Gaoshun’s place a lot lately. Had he managed to gain some experience?”

“These paintings are stunning,” Maomao said, squinting at them. It occurred to her that if a certain elegant beauty had been there, he could practically have blended right in. (An irrelevant thought if there ever was one!)”

“Holy shit,” Kelly breathed.
“You love him,” Joe whispered.
I glared at them. “I do not. Shut up.”
“No,” Kelly said, voice growing louder. “You looooooove him.”
“Kelly, I will kick your fucking ass!”
Joe fluttered his eyelashes. “Ooh, Gavin. You made my cold, dead heterosexual heart burst with super gay life and now I can’t—oof!”

You know, he said, voice a little hoarse, I hope you guys are on your way to working out whatever the fuck is going on between the two of you. I mean, it was really gross to watch my uncle carry you up the stairs in his arms like some damsel in distress and snarl at anyone who tried to go into his room to check on you.
I turned slowly to look at Mark, who suddenly found the wall very interesting. “You did what?”