Grace’s Reviews > The Apothecary Diaries (Light Novel): Volume 6 > Status Update

“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.“

“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.”

“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!)”