#maomao got fun expressions

[bekkomi]

Maomao sketches

[luckycheesefoodie321]

Yall the way I kept repeating that one moment where Jinshi asks Shenlu where Maomao was

I was like… why is his voice different here? It’s so deep. Did he get new VA? I kept repeating the scene bc something about it hit so different from every other time.

Then I was like there’s something else going on. He sounds way more demanding and authoritative. Like this is not cunning Jinshi telling off that one lady in waiting. This is someone entirely different. He’s lost all sense of formality or politeness to his tone as well. He wasn’t using keigo. It was literally only a short sentence but it was so clearly not like him. Except it was him. The true him.

Dude was fully crashing out and his true voice coming through all bc Maomao had been missing for so long. Like we got SO MUCH internal monologue from him this episode. Him now saying Maomao in his head sounded so intimate.

Ka Zuigetsu was fully ready to step out of the Jinshi skin. His voice was so much deeper and more demanding than Jinshi’s. Regardless of his true character, Jinshi was born a crown prince. He was used to making demands and giving orders. Obviously he never wanted to pursue that, hence pretending to be a high ranking eunuch.

Even when he calmed down and put on the Jinshi voice, it suddenly sounded unnatural? Bc he couldn’t stay calm and he couldn’t truly sit back into his character as Jinshi.

He could not get a damn grip on himself. Usually when strange schemes are afoot, he’d be a lot more composed. But dude yelled at a traumatised old woman, who was a victim of the previous emperor. Then he grabbed the face of a maidservant just trying to do what she was ordered to do and scared her so bad, another lady in waiting had to intervene. “Where is Concubine Loulan?!” combined with his contorting facial expression was genuinely scary!

I hear the light novel is in a fun place/has been in a fun place with the JinMao relationship, but this angsty yearning “who did this to you?!” energy is so much fun to watch as an anime-only.

[apothecaryscript]

Memo for Season 2 Episode 2 (Ep.26): Caravan

思思「し…杏様。診療所から言伝(ことづて)です」

Su-su? “Shi…Shin-sama. Shinryo-jo-kara kotozute desu.”

Si-si? “L-Lady Shin, a message from the clinic.”

杏「診療所から言伝？」

Shin “Shinryo-jo-kara kotozute?”

Shin “A message from the clinic…?”

I was very surprised by this scene. In Episode 1 of Season 1, Shin threw away the warning message from Maomao about poisonous face powder, without showing it to Concubine Lihua. And in this scene of Ep.2 in Season 2, her malicious expression was clearly depicted, so everyone who saw it must have felt uneasy.

診療所(しんりょうじょ/Shinryo-jo) is a different place from the 医局(いきょく/Ikyoku) where Guen(Quack Doctor) works, but in the translation, both places are translated as “clinic,” so I’m curious to see how it will be translated when 診療所 is clearly featured in future episode.

In addition, the name of the lady-in-waiting who delivered the message to Shin was displayed as 思思 in the subtitles, but I didn’t know how to pronounce it, so I added a question mark. From what I found online, it seems to be spelled “Sisi” and pronounced “Susu.”

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猫猫（玉葉様からお小遣いをもらったけど…）

Maomao (Gyokuyo-sama-kara okozukai’o moratta-kedo…)

Maomao (I did get some allowance from Lady Gyokuyou, but…)

お小遣い(おこづかい/O-kozukai): allowance

猫猫「これ下さい」

Maomao “Kore kudasai.”

Maomao “I’ll take this.”

これ下さい（これ、ください/Kore, kudasai）: I’ll take this.

When we buy something, we say 「これをください」 or 「これをお願いします」. To be strict, ください means “please give me” and you may feel it a little weird since we pay money, and of course 「これを買います(これをかいます/Kore’o kaimasu)」: ‘I’ll buy this’ is also okay. But ください is politer than 買います.

The politest, we’ll say 「こちらをいただきます(Kochira’o itadaki-masu)」.

猫猫「似合ってる」

Maomao “Niatteru.”

Maomao “Looks good on you.”

似合う(にあう/Niau): look good on, suit, match

Xiaolan is so cute! I also like her voice and way of speaking.

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猫猫「上手だね」

Maomao “Jozu dane.”

Maomao “You’re good.”

上手(じょうず/Jozu): good, well ⇔ 下手（へた/Heta）: bad, poor

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壬氏「出がらしでいいと言った」

Jinshi “Degarashi-de iito itta.”

Jinshi “I told you I wanted the watery tea.”

出がらし(でがらし/Degarashi): Remaining tea leaves that have lost their flavor after being used

If you’re drinking it yourself, you may pour a second cup of hot water, but it’s rude to do so for guests, especially for such a high-ranking person. In the anime and original light novel, Jinshi drank about half of the jasmine tea she’d had a sip. But in the original web novel, first she drank half shaking the cup slowly as if to show him off, and Jinshi drank the rest up while she was looking for snacks.

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猫猫（あぁ…やっちまった）

Maomao (Aa…Yacchimatta.)

Maomao (I messed up!)

やっちまった(rough way of speaking) = やっちゃった(friendly way) = やってしまった(normal/plain way) = やってしまいました(polite way)

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My favorite scene in Episode 2 was the scene where Jinshi got mad at the excuse Maomao made, calling it like a pervert. I also like the way Concubine Gyokuyou looked at it with a smile on her face, in spite that it should have been natural for her to get mad at her as well, as the concubine to be served. Now that Maomao and Shisui hit it off, I’d like to see they’ll have fun time a lot together.

[superkooku]

My thoughts on the apothecary diaries

(volumes 1 & 2 of the manga)

I'd like to write a review for the manga. Of course, it's just my subjective POV. I'm no professional reviewer, just a fan.

The (very) good

Maomao

If I had to pick knh's greatest strength, it's our protagonist.

Of course, many have noticed how we have an actually fleshed out female character, and that's great. But even by normal standards, she's awesome.

I could see both her strengths (levelheaded, curious, smart) and some weaknesses (too blunt, missing some social hints, getting carried away in her passion). She's also very expressive and it's delightful to see.

Finally, her sudden promotion is actually justified. She's helpful and smart.

The side characters

So far, no character has annoyed me (except maybe some maidens. But it's on purpose).

The rest of the cast may not be as fleshed out as Maomao, but they're all interesting.

I like how the concubines aren't villanized. We see how they themselves suffer, but also their qualities.

Lifa especially surprised me. I initially thought she'd be nasty, but she's quite nice. Her outburst at Gyokuyo becomes more interesting when we learn she isn't her normal self. She's just a sickly woman who's afraid for her son.

And of course, there's Jinshi. He's quite intriguing to me. He seems to put on some kind of facade in front of the others, one which matches his beauty, but it makes him seem shallow and annoying to Maomao.

Speaking of them.

The complicated relationship between Maomao and Jinshi

I talked about the characters in general, now, I'll focus on the "main" relationship.

(Right after Maomao X Poison, my OTP)

First of, yeah, Jinshi's a bit clingy with her 😅. I've seen some people dislike this fact, but personally, I don't mind it. It makes them imperfect and that's a good thing.

And it manages to stay funny instead of creepy (for now at least).

I'm pretty sure it'll become romantic, because I got spoiled 😅. Jinshi's clinginess and Maomao's comments kinda hint towards it anyways.

It's like a healthier version of "Enemies to lovers", though the first part is mostly one-sided.

(No actual hate or spite, just a bit of unease from her side.)

I seriously love how each one can throw the other off their game. Jinshi can't use his charm on her. But Maomao can't hide her schemes from him, he always catches her.

It's like a little mind game. Fun to read.

In volume 2, their interaction after the banquet felt different. I'm excited.

(also, if it becomes romantic, I'm pretty sure he'll realize his feelings way before she reciprocates, lol.)

The politics and commentary

I'm not that good with politics, so I could be wrong, but I like how knh delves into the palace (more specifically the harem).

We see how beautiful the concubines are, the lavish decorations in their rooms, but also the darker side of their lives.

The NINE YEARS OLD concubine (Lady Lishu), how women are put against each other and forced to always be careful in order to survive.

We also see how much damage superstition and ignorance can cause (r.i.p the prince), while most characters aren't dumb, but just used to the system.

There's also that sweet story on the woman dancing at night. We see how far she has to go just to reunite with her childhood friend.

Knh delves into many complicated themes inherent to the society in culture while staying tasteful.

The illustrations

Kudos to Nekokurage. The style is often cute and expressive, but some panels really are beautiful.

(like the final one in volume 1, with the woman dancing, or the freaking covers !)

The cuteness of the style doesn't make more serious scenes less impacting (like when Maomao gets angry at the maid).

Smaller points

The humor

Gyokuyo's three assistants are cute (though a bit foolish)

Other relationships (Maomao with Lady Lifa or Honnyan)

The mystery

The lack of useless fanservice

Maomao's past is acknowledged several times and not only in a negative way. Her background helps her. It's sweet.

The... less good

Although I really enjoyed reading this manga, there were some spots that (imo) can be improved or added on.

Pacing issues

I feel like some things are too fast or could be expended on.

Also, many months sometimes feel like mere days. For example, when Maomao first comes into the palace or when she spends time with Lady Lifa.

Some characters are too incompetent and mean for no reason.

MOST characters aren't dumb. There are exceptions.

It's probably made so Maomao seems even better in comparison. I don't really like this approach.

At least, the doctor is nice, but I would've liked to see him being useful. Maybe some flawed mentor figure for our protagonist.

Maomao can't do everything in this big palace. Seeing other people actually doing their job would be refreshing.

Also, that maiden Maomao slapped is a bit too "strawman" to my taste. Is beauty the ONLY reason why she gave Lady Lifa the notoriously toxic powder again ? Really ?? Is someone actually that stupid ?

It doesn't really make the moment less impactful, but a bit more frustrating (maybe it's made on purpose).

The science can be a bit vague

The vagueness can be justified by the context. This part is handled very well (like Maomao explaining what an allergy is without using modern terminology).

Especially when it comes to Maomao's immunity. I googled it and it only works under very specific conditions.

It's effective against venoms, not poisons.

It takes many years

It can backfire in the long run

It's a small problem, because expositing everything to the reader is not the way to do it and I actually don't hate this subtler approach.

There's nothing too unrealistic, but it's very vague.

Now, there are three options.

It's vague on purpose. Knh will delve into it later on. This approach would mean Maomao would suffer from her methods. I don't want her to be hurt, ofc, but it'd be interesting to delve into the problems of this method.

It'll be justified later on. Not exactly like 1, because the problems will be cancelled instead of solved (for example: she used this method since her childhood)

It will remain vague and we will have to suspend our disbelief.

Also, chocolate isn't an aphrodisiac for us, but knh somewhat explains that it's because they're not used to it like we are.

(Maomao can eat chocolate for example).

Again, it's vague but not completely incorrect, so it's just a little personal issue.

I expected a bit something like Dr. Stone that delves deeper into it, but knh's approach is also interesting. It's not like Maomao doesn't explain anything, she does, it's just more focused on the knowledge she can gather in their era.

Final thoughts

But it's not 100% realistic and focusing more on the "apothecary" part of knh (without forgetting the characters) would be beneficial.

I love this manga and although it has it's little flaws, it's really a wonderful discovery.

I'm very excited to learn new things about the characters (especially Maomao and Jinshi) and the palace in general.

I give it 8.5/10 🤩

[tryslora]

What I'm Reading Wednesday...

On the Duck Prints Press reading server, it’s What I’m Reading Wednesday where we all share what we finished in the last week, what we are currently reading, and what we think of these books.

I figured hey, why not bring that to the rest of the world for myself. Because I love yelling about my current reads. And I’ve always got several things in motion at one time, between physical, audio, and ebooks, plus things I’m reading for specific reasons.

Here’s the summary from the last week in visual format (the actual discussion is behind the read-more):

Fiction

I am currently reading Many Drops Make a Stream by Adrian Harley (from Duck Prints Press). There are so many things to love in this book. The world building packs so much into such a small space. The culture clash between human and shapeshifter is wonderful (and Harley’s shapeshifters truly have a culture all their own). I thought it was going to be a quick read because it’s short, but the language and depth of information have me going slower and savoring every word. That said, I’ve also reached the point where I want to take it in faster, so I find myself spending a little extra time every time I pick it up, just to get a few more pages!

Manga & Graphic Novels

I have one manga and one graphic novel in progress.

I’ve been reading The Complete Elfquest, volume 1 by Wendy & Richard Pini for a little over two weeks now. We have several of these volumes, and my intention is to read one chapter/issue a night, so I am able to savor them slowly, but also get through them. Reading this first volume is like coming home into a fandom from childhood. The first chunk of it was also collected in the original Warp Graphics compilations, and I can’t remember how often I read those back in high school. I’m reaching the parts now where I probably only read the individual issues once or twice, so it’s familiar, but not to the point where I’m like oh yes, I remember gazing at that panel for hours. I still love these elves, and this story, and I cannot wait to get home each day and be allowed to read a chapter. I’m looking forward to when I reach new-to-me material.

I watched the 24 episode anime The Apothecary Diaries and I wasn’t ready to let it go when it was over, so I started reading the manga by Natsu Hyuuga and Nekokurage. I finished volumes 5 & 6 this past week and am currently reading volume 7. I have the remaining already published volumes waiting for when I’m done with this. I adore Maomao and Jinshi, and am incredibly excited to get to the point where canon moves past what is in the anime. That said, getting to revisit events I already watched on TV and linger over what was said and the exact expressions has been soooo good. (And yes, I know the light novels also exist and will be rolling into those in ebook form after the manga; I might be a tad bit obsessed).

Audiobook

A while ago I thought “I should read some TJ Klune” so I checked the library list I had for audiobooks, and the first of his Extraordinaries trilogy was available in audio. I listened to it. I was addicted. I’m now on the third book—Heat Wave—and I find it very very hard to put it down. I can’t listen while working, only while commuting, walking, or doing chores—things that don’t require me to actually think so I can multi-task. But hey, it’s a GREAT way to get me to do my PT since it means fifteen minutes more of audiobook listening! Nick, the POV character, has ADHD and I flail a lot over pretty much everything he thinks and does. I love every character in this series. I love how Klune is using superheroes as an allegory for the queer experience and for racial issues, but at the same time, is actually addressing those issues explicitly. I both want to listen faster to find out what happens, and linger so it doesn’t end.

Ebook

I have been reading Wayfinder by CE Murphy, which is the second in a duology. This is a romance, yes, but it’s another fun culture clash book, this time between humanity and faerie, and I am so here for that. Murphy is an author I used to read a lot from, and I’m trying to work my way through her back catalog slowly because I’ve always enjoyed her style. Accessible and fun. This series is about a woman who has always been able to hear lies (a Truthseeker), and how her talent develops, and how she works with the faerie kingdoms to try to help them (despite some of them not wanting help, and the original situation not being the one she’s actually needed for).

Non-fiction

I have been working my way through three non-fiction books.

One is A Year of Zen by Bonnie Myotai Treace. I had been looking for a journaling prompt book, and decided to give this one a try. I made the difficult decision to write directly in the book itself, then the additional decision to let myself fail if needed. So if I don’t get to answer a prompt on a day, I just answer it the next day. One prompt per day. It’ll take me more than a year to go through it, but that’s okay. The idea is to have me think and write a short paragraph every day, and not feel guilty about messing up. It’s working surprisingly well. Learning to let myself fail has been a big part of my process this year, and hopefully I am learning to let go of some of the anxiety about things needing to be matched and rigid.

The one I am stalled on right now is The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris. It was recommended as a book that therapists like to use for themselves, not merely recommend to their patients, and it reminded me of the radical acceptance I’m supposed to be practicing (and apparently am, despite myself, according to my therapist after she listened to me). The problem is, it has exercises (doesn’t everything?) and I stalled out because I didn’t have time.

Time is a theme, y’know? And that’s what happened with the last non-fiction book. I’ve been working through The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, taking it as a self-guided 12 week course. I’m currently on week 5. However, I did a week of just doing morning notes before I really got started, then I took a week off when everything went haywire in my schedule because of the power outage. So it’s been about seven weeks so far. This week, as I worked on exercises, I found myself really digging in to my emotions about this book. And in the end, I decided that while I can see the value in some things, the book itself is giving me more anxiety about everything to do with my writing, while at the same time making it impossible for me to find time TO write (while following the advice it gives). So. I am no longer doing it as a course, with exercises, but I will finish reading it. And if an exercise appeals, I’ll do it. It’ll still take time, because I’ll probably still read one chapter each weekend, but I am already feeling WAY less stressed and I only made this decision last night.

So…

That’s it for me! What are you reading?

[cjrae]

Series: Reaction to a Reaction. Episode 21 "How To Buy Out A Contract."

@i-guess-im-into-this-now, I had a feeling you were gonna have fun with this one!

1.) "Hmmm… is there some connection here? Guen is a "doctor" and Suirei ended up being adopted by a doctor in the Outer Palace. Could she have learned the trade alongside Guen and used that knowledge to impress the Outer Palace doctor?"

I imagine that if Guen and Suirei had been trained by the same mentor, our beloved quack might not actually be a quack. I actually love this bit we get of Guen's backstory. He appears to be a kind soul who's great when it comes to bedside manner, but deliberately choosing to become a eunuch in Not Imperial China is an extremely brave sacrifice for the only son of a formerly wealthy family to make. It really speaks to why Maomao, despite disparaging his medical abilities, respects and cares about him. There's a theme developing here - Luomen, the quack; self sacrificing kindness gets Maomao to put on her Protective Hat real quick!

2.) "Maomao explains to Lihaku that Pairin would likely love to become a mother, but she is very lusty, and is difficult to satisfy in bed.

Lihaku: So she's perfect. Your point?

Okay, so Lihaku has won me over. I'm a sucker who has to support a man in love."

I had a feeling. :D This is one of those lines that stands out to me as an utterly perfect translation of the sentiment being expressed. (The other that comes to mind is Maomao screaming at Lihua's lady in waiting "You think she wants to be adorned in the poison that killed her son?!")

3.) "Friends. I am dying.

Jinshi: My apologies, but what exactly am I interrupting here? Maomao, brightly: Hi Master Jinshi! How are you?

About to go ballistic by the looks of it.

Lady Gyokuyou would love this. It's so funny."

Lady Gyokuyou would pee herself laughing. As does the audience.

To be completely fair to Jinshi, however, this isn't JUST about walking on a scene looks like Maomao was about to give Lihaku a blowjob (allow me to include the manga panel - I'm pretty sure they weren't ALLOWED to animate her that close to Lihaku's crotch).

The first time I saw the scene, though, aside from laughing my ass off, my first thought is that Jinshi is 100% right to be utterly pissed. He's the manager of the Rear Palace and Lihaku should NOT have been undressed anywhere near one of the ladies within it, consort or not. Something that's pointed out in the manga and light novels is that ALL the women in the Inner Palace have the potential to become mother of the nation - if the Emperor were to take a fancy to a lowly maid, that's his prerogative. (In fact, this is how the Empress Regnant - the current Emperor's grandmother rose to her position).

So, yeah. Lihaku managed to piss Jinshi off both personally AND professionally!

4.) "Excuse me, did he just refer to Maomao as his cat?"

Yes. Yes he did. Just in case this somehow hadn't come up yet, her name is literally written as the character for cat twice. 猫猫

5.) "In fact Maomao is a boon to everyone in her life. We saw it twice this episode with Guen and now with Lihaku."

The ending title of the second half of the season is "Ai wa Kusuri," or "Love is Medicine." I think I remember you saying that you hadn't closely watched either the opening and closing titles, but the first opening and the second closing are absolutely rich with symbolism. (I've got an analysis ready to go for "Ai wa Kusuri", but I need still images at the very least to do an art analysis and given that I'm trying to teach my six month old to sleep through the night, I have no brain space for trying to get my own screencaps to go through it shot by shot).

To make a long analysis very short, women in the show tend to be represented as flowers - specifically poisonous flowers. The flower Maomao is associated with is actually the very first shot in the series, but the characters won't touch on it until Episode 23. Unlike the courtesans and the consorts, (and princes) who are all enmeshed inside this poisonous system, Maomao provides medicine. (After all, what is the difference between poison and medicine? Dosage). Everybody who knows Maomao is made better for it - especially Jinshi.

6.) "It almost seems like Jinshi was testing Lihaku and he passed. Maybe making sure that Lihaku has integrity? Maybe Jinshi is thinking about bringing him into his very small trusted circle? Lord knows Jinshi could use more allies."

I mentioned on the last episode that Jinshi is a political animal and I love the scene between him and Lihaku because it showcases both Jinshi absolutely in his element, at his most manipulative, as well as really exemplifying not just Lihaku's integrity, but also the qualities that make him an exceptional up-and-coming soldier.

Jinshi is being smooth and charming. He doesn't just have the sparkly charm he puts to easy use around his admirers. He's using Lihaku's public accomplishments as artillery in this flattery bombardment, before making the offering to put up the money to buy out Pairin. To a simple soldier, in love, it ought to be an irresistible offer - and if Lihaku takes it, he will be forever indebted to Jinshi, making him a very useful tool to be used later, not to mention getting him away from Maomao.

Lihaku, for all that he may not think too deeply about certain subjects, is NOT stupid. He immediately recognizes that this offer is too good to be true. And, unlike the majority of the court, having the "most beautiful person in the nation" flatter and compliment him provokes caution. It's also worth noting that Lihaku picks up on Jinshi being pissed about implying that Maomao is a vehicle for Jinshi's trust. Jinshi's expressions are extremely controlled and we actually see the shift between his public expression of distaste and the blue anger radiating off of him that Lihaku can see. I guarantee you, most people would never have picked up on Jinshi's actual emotional state.

And then comes the polite refusal of the devil's bargain. In that moment, Jinshi's in shock - he's just found something extremely rare and valuable in a royal court. A talented soldier with the integrity to turn down his heart's desire because to take Jinshi's offer would be to strip the meaning of buying Pairin's contract of all it's emotional meaning and reduce it back down to a business transaction. We watch Lihaku earn Jinshi's respect in a single conversation - and the tone immediately shifts from bribery to recruitment.

(Also, the scene in the light novel lets us go into a little more detail of what Lihaku's thinking. HE picks up immediately that Jinshi doesn't really fit the typical profile of a eunuch...Maomao, you could take an example from this!)

7.) "A certain someone came to talk to granny about making a purchase at the brothel and some of the servant girls got the wrong idea. Lakan apparently. What the hell is his game this time? Mess with Maomao's sisters to draw her out of the Rear Palace?"

Well, there's also the "blue roses" comment. Next episode, Lakan goes on the attack!

The Apothecary Diaries

S1E21 First Watch

Here's where I watch The Apothecary Diaries for the first time and give my thoughts, analysis, predictions, and occasionally I stumble into a joke.

To start at the beginning:

Episode 1

My character/locations cheat sheet

Lakan - strategist. Maomao's biological father.

Lihaku - a young military officer

Pairin - one of the princesses at Verdigris House

Guen - the palace doctor

Lihaku is sparring and doing poorly because he is too distracted. Probably thinking about his true love Pairin and wondering if she is the princess who is having her contract bought out. Last time Maomao was at the brothel we learned that Meimei had some offers, but we haven't heard anything about Pairin.

Maomao is back in the Rear Palace and happy to be in the pharmacy with her old friend Guen, making him clean and organize.

We learn that Guen's family manufactures paper. They used to be quite wealthy until logging was banned and they had to cut back production. Under more dire circumstances, the eldest daughter chose to work in the palace. Guen volunteered to become a eunuch to follow her, but he never saw her again. Missing sister huh? Suirei maybe?

Hmmm... is there some connection here? Guen is a "doctor" and Suirei ended up being adopted by a doctor in the Outer Palace. Could she have learned the trade alongside Guen and used that knowledge to impress the Outer Palace doctor?

There is an issue with the paper that is manufactured for the palace, and the family is likely to lose their purveyor status if the problem isn't fixed. Luckily Maomao is a genius and can figure out the problem with minimal clues.

OMG, Lihaku. He's down sooooo bad for Pairin.

The man is dedicated. I will grant him that. He wants to know what he needs to do to buy out her contract. He's looking for an amount, and Maomao is stalling in giving him a direct answer. It's complicated since Pairin's desires can change that amount.

We learn that Maomao was a ward of the brothel. And induced lactation is a thing I just learned about today. Pairin was a mother figure to Maomao.

Maomao explains to Lihaku that Pairin would likely love to become a mother, but she is very lusty, and is difficult to satisfy in bed.

Lihaku: So she's perfect. Your point?

Okay, so Lihaku has won me over. I'm a sucker who has to support a man in love.

Maomao: Master Lihaku understands what Pairin does for a living and is still in love with her. He may act like a big dumb dog, but seems to be honest and a hard worker.

Yeah that all tracks.

Maomao tells him he has to come up with roughly 10x his annual income to buy out Pairin's contract. She then asks to examine his physique to see if he matches Pairin's tastes. And now would be a perfect time for someone to interrupt this scene. Preferably someone who views Lihaku as a romantic rival and can misread the situation...

Oh my god. Right on cue. Thank you storytellers for feeding your audience!

The looks on Lihaku's and Maomao's faces! They are so busted.

Friends. I am dying.

Jinshi: My apologies, but what exactly am I interrupting here? Maomao, brightly: Hi Master Jinshi! How are you?

About to go ballistic by the looks of it.

But anyway, since Maomao won't acknowledge Jinshi's jealousy her only choice is to be so very terrible at reading the room that it seems like she's trolling Jinshi. She once again describes the situation in the most ambiguous way, so that the chance that Jinshi will misunderstand is maximized. It's 💋👌

Lady Gyokuyou would love this. It's so funny.

Maomao's bright response to Jinshi's question let's me know that even if she isn't willing to acknowledge the situation she isn't ignorant to it.

There are so many good lines here, I'm tempted to write them all.

Maomao: Nothing improper was going on. I was simply taking a good hard look.

Jinshi takes psychic damage.

Jinshi: I didn't realize the physical form was of such interest to you.

Maomao: It was absolutely necessary... ...It was to see if his body would be good enough. What better way to judge that than to inspect him myself?

Critical hit. Jinshi's down. If he isn't actually crying, it's a close thing.

Jinshi: Humor me. Based on what you observed... were you satisfied?

Jinshi's entire outlook for the future hinges on this answer.... LOL

Maomao goes on to explain what she can deduce based on an assessment of someone's appearance.

Jinshi, jealous: Then you should be able to tell what kind of person I am by looking at my body.

No sir, you are the exception, she very deliberately won't determine anything about you that challenges her delusions.

Maomao: Wait a minute? Is he jealous of Master Lihaku?

Um.... yeah!

Maomao: I can't believe this guy's ego! He just wants to brag about being prettier than him!

You almost had it, Maomao. So close.

Maomao lives in her own delusional world where she can admire Jinshi's beautiful, well toned figure and still convince herself that she has zero interest in him.

Maomao: I'd offer to inspect your body too, but there'd be no point.

A final blow. Gaoshun is thinking about what a hassle it is going to be to motivate Jinshi to work in the next few days when he's going to be crying in the corner again.

Once Jinshi knows what's going on, he decides to involved himself in Lihaku's business. He offers to put up the money for Lihaku to buy out Pairin's contract. Is he trying to remove a romantic rival or earn points with Maomao by supporting her big sis? Both probably.

Jinshi: You've met my cat. So you know she can be the cautious type. And yet she's willing to give you advice and consider you to be a legitimate candidate to be her sister's husband. So, I think that says enough.

Excuse me, did he just refer to Maomao as his cat?

Damn, the day Lihaku nonchalantly gave Maomao a hairpin, really, really, has paid off.

In fact Maomao is a boon to everyone in her life. We saw it twice this episode with Guen and now with Lihaku.

Lihaku: In short, if she's comfortable letting her guard down around me, I'm trustworthy.

Yeah, Jinshi didn't like that. He's worked for nearly two years to get Maomao to let down her guard around him with little success, but by all appearances, Maomao will do so easily with Lihaku. And that's... true. Lihaku, is not, and has never been, a threat to Maomao's heart. She can stare at his physique or talk intimately and it means nothing at all to Maomao. But of course Jinshi doesn't know that. Which is what makes this hilarious.

And perhaps the unspoken part of this deal, is that Lihaku take the money to go live happily with Pairin, and stay the fuck away from Jinshi's girl.

Jinshi has done his research on Lihaku. It seems he comes from a good family, but was recruited by Lakan. Interesting. Jinshi is listing Lihaku's merits, and he sounds almost sarcastic, like he's forcing the words.

Lihaku: While she might only be a courtesan to you. In my eyes, there's no other woman in the world for me.

Lihaku gives a very nice little speech to Jinshi about wanting to use his own wealth to get Pairin. And he says some very important words:

See Jinshi? He has no interest in your girl? You can rein in your jealousy now.

And Jinshi is relieved. He says he'll need to speak with Lihaku again soon. As brother-in-laws maybe?

It almost seems like Jinshi was testing Lihaku and he passed. Maybe making sure that Lihaku has integrity? Maybe Jinshi is thinking about bringing him into his very small trusted circle? Lord knows Jinshi could use more allies.

Lihaku has come a long way from demanding Maomao compensate him for helping her visit her father outside the palace, to refusing the free money he needs to free the woman he loves.

Jinshi and Gaoshun walk away, and Jinshi is much happier after this conversation. He doesn't have to worry about Lihaku as a romantic rival any more. Which is good for Jinshi, but sad for me.

Lihaku's not giving up. He keeps training, trying to advance his career, save his money, and connect with Pairin however he can. Maomao seems to think it's a hopeful match.

A certain someone came to talk to granny about making a purchase at the brothel and some of the servant girls got the wrong idea. Lakan apparently. What the hell is his game this time? Mess with Maomao's sisters to draw her out of the Rear Palace?

Next episode:

To start at the beginning:

Episode 1

Coming soon!