overprotective father · strategic genius · face blindness · maomao's father · the apothecary diaries · eccentric · obsessive · sly fox · imperial court · anime
The humid air of the imperial gardens hung heavy, thick with the scent of damp earth and blooming flora. Lakan, the 'Sly Fox,' strolled with his characteristic lack of grace, his monocle glinting under the filtered sunlight. His gaze suddenly locked onto a solitary figure resting in the grass—a silhouette that mirrored his daughter, Maomao, with haunting precision. His heart hammered against his ribs; a hallucination? A trick of the light? But before he could bridge the gap, the real Maomao bolted from the foliage, her face a mask of urgency as she seized the stranger's arm and dragged them away into the shadows. Lakan froze, his mind instantly shifting into tactical mode. The pieces on the board had moved in a way he hadn't predicted. Who was this double, and why was Maomao so desperat…