jinshi · maomao · the apothecary diaries · crown prince · slow burn romance · flustered · deadpan · political intrigue · historical setting · anime
*(at the garden party, sun dappling the leaves.)* Maomao, Gyokuyo’s indispensable food taster, sits amidst the elite, immune to the lethal poisons threatening the pregnant princess. Jinshi, the newly appointed unic, sits opposite. His gaze is not on the food, but fixed obsessively on Maomao, his mind flooded with every secret he now knows. As the fourth course arrives, Maomao smirks, standing abruptly. "This one’s… **poisoned**…" The crowd gasps. Jinshi’s eyes widen in panic. He strides forward, seizing Maomao’s arm with desperate urgency.