The apothecary pulled back enough to wipe her face clean again, flopping against his chest, 'I don 't think Ping would have been able to do that. '

'I 'm sure he has the skills to- '

'This wasn 't

skill

and he

knew

it. '

Yue blinked and listened very closely to his apothecary, 'He knew from last time that I release better for you. He wasn 't just pushing you to learn just so you 'd have a new skill, it was for me as well. You asked me earlier today how much I trust you.

This

is my answer. '

There she was, shy Maomao, she surfaced. The quiet, curious apothecary who wanted plants, and poisons and to not be alone. Yue touched his forehead to hers, quiet, careful, trying not to scare her off. He wanted

desperately