'Calm down. I have an emetic agent. '

Jinshi stared at Maomao in horror. How could she be so calm about the fact she had just eaten seaweed that was very likely poisoned? He grabbed the small red satchel she held out. The one she had just said was the emetic, and ordered Gaoshun to hold her.

'You 're overreaccccc ' ' She didn 't finish the word. Jinshi forced the emetic down her throat and within minutes she was doubled over emptying the entire contents of her stomach. When she surfaced, she glared at him and stated, 'I was trying to prove the seaweed was safe. '

He glared right back at her, 'And you were willing to risk your life in the process? Why would you think that 's okay? '

'Well, it doesn 't matter now, does it? ' she snapped at him. Before he could reply, she returned to the table where the two seaweed specimens sat.

She proceeded to lay out the rest of the facts of the case as she saw them. When she finished, the men turned to each other to discuss what she 'd presented. Jinshi happened to look back right as she ate seaweed from the untouched plate. He was absolutely livid and with the help of Gaoshun, ' they again made her vomit.

When she surfaced from her second round of throwing up, she resumed glaring at Jinshi, 'You overreacted. I would 've been fine! '

'Oh, I overreacted? That 's rich coming from the woman that tried to kill herself twice in the last hour. '

Her eyes narrowed and she marched closer to him, 'I was not trying to kill myself. I knew exactly what I was doing. '

He crossed his arms and stared down at her torn between anger and terror, 'And what if you 'd been wrong? What then? '

'I wasn 't wrong. ' Under her breath, she muttered, 'Probably. '

'I heard that. '

'Master Jinshi, I have been doing these kinds of experiments for years. I am careful. I don 't recklessly endanger myself. '

'So, I 'm just supposed to be perfectly calm and hope that you 're not about to drop dead because it 's never happened before? '

'Yes! '

The room echoed with the sound of their raised voices. There was hardly any space between them. Maomao 's lips were pursed and her sapphire eyes were pure ice. He matched her fury with his own, and if it hadn 't been Gaoshun literally stepping in between them, it was anyone 's guess what might 've happened.

Calmly, Gaoshun told him, 'Master, you should go back to your office and get some work done. I 'm sure Xiaomao will be fine. I 'll escort her back to the house and Lady Suiren will help keep an eye on her. '

His minder 's message was clear. Jinshi needed some space from Maomao. Things were escalating and they both needed to calm down. Without a further word, Jinshi whirled and made his departure.

He maintained his pleasant exterior as he made his way back to his office, but only just barely. As soon as he was safely inside, he locked the door and let the facade drop. He was still angry, but the anger was nothing compared to the fear that was running wild. When he would watch her work as a taster, it always made him anxious, but she didn 't encounter actual poison all that often. However, watching her intentionally consume something that she very well knew was likely incredibly poisonous was a completely different situation. All the nightmares he 'd had of her dropping dead after consuming something poisonous had felt like they were playing out in real time when he watched her consume the two types of seaweed.

What was he going to do?

Poisons were one of her passions. If not for the fact that she actually did gain quite a bit of valuable knowledge from working with them, he 'd put his foot down and completely ban her from having access. Though, he had a feeling she 'd still find ways to get hold of them through less safe methods than she currently had available.

He needed to set some rules. Maybe that would give him some peace of mind. Granted, she'd have to actually agree to obey the rules and he didn't have high hopes regarding that. Expecting Maomao to follow the rules was a bit like expecting him to embrace being crown prince.

He was too aggravated to work. Too aggravated to sit still. He paced his office for half an hour before finally giving up and deciding to head back to the residence part of his home. Maybe Suiren would give him a snack. Food might help.

If only he hadn 't lost his temper and ended up back in his office. That 's what he spent the next two hours chiding himself for, because the moment he unlocked and opened his office door, he found Lakan standing there about to knock. There was no escape, no believable excuse Jinshi could immediately come up with. Wearily, Jinshi went back to his desk and proceeded to sit and listen for two solid hours as Lakan told the most mind-numbing story about another game of Go that had taken place years before Jinshi had been born.

By the time Lakan made his departure, Jinshi was past his wit 's end. He glared at the stack of paperwork on his desk that he was sorely behind on. If he were to do the right, responsible thing, he 'd stay and get caught up. After all, the pile was so huge, Jinshi was going to have to spend several late nights working to even make a dent in it. He decided to go find something to eat, and then return to start tackling the mountain of papers.

Wearily, he made his way back to his room. He needed to take off his heavy robes for a bit and just be comfortable. Walking in, he discovered Maomao was there, finishing up the daily cleaning. Her back was to him and she was talking to herself in an unfamiliar bright, cheery tone. All his frustration with her from earlier immediately vanished as he watched her start giggling with delight and spinning around in a circle. Unfortunately, her eyes were shut, and he realized a moment too late he was right in her path. She bumped into him, her eyes flew open, and she looked up at him with the sweetest, happiest smile. With a soft laugh she greeted him, 'Apologies, didn 't see you. Welcome home, Master Jinshi! '

For a full ten seconds he just stared at her with a mix of confusion and shock. Who was this woman? Where was his cranky, grumpy, bite-his-head-off for looking at her Maomao? ' Maybe he was actually asleep. Maybe he was still stuck in his office with Lakan droning on endlessly. He marched over to the door and proceeded to strike his head against it multiple times, until Gaoshun physically pulled him away. At least, when Jinshi turned back around, Maomao was back to looking normal. Which was to say, she was giving him a look like she thought he 'd lost his mind. To be perfectly frank, after the day he 'd had, he wasn 't sure he hadn 't.

A few minutes later, he was out of his heavy robe and seated on the couch. Maomao, Gaoshun, and Suiren all stood around him with varying levels of concern written on their faces. Suiren got him some water and asked, 'Young master, what were you thinking? You have a horrible red mark on your forehead now, and you seem exhausted. '

'It 's been a very long day, ' he sighed. 'As if I didn 't have enough on my plate with the tower of paperwork that never gets smaller, I just spent two hours stuck in my office with that wretched man going on and on. '

'Ah, ' Gaoshun said, nodding his head knowingly.

'Wretched man? ' Maomao asked.

Jinshi took a drink and replied, 'I don 't like him. For some unknown reason he 's suddenly made my office his new favorite place. I 've spent the last week having to deal with him showing up and spending two hours everyday going on and on about subjects I don 't care about. The worst part is, I can 't get any work done while he 's there. '

Maomao 's eyes widened slightly in surprise, 'Huh. '

'What is it? ' he asked.

She shrugged, 'Just surprising that there 's someone you feel that way about and yet you 're still letting him spend so much time with you like that. '

'I don 't have much choice in the matter. The man is a high ranking military official. Razor-sharp. Ignoring him would be unwise. '

'Perhaps he 's just a lonely old man? ' Maomao suggested.

Jinshi shook his head, 'I don 't know. He 's barely over forty. He 's not married, but he did adopt his nephew, so it would seem like that 's who he should be spending time with if he 's lonely. The man 's a weirdo. All he cares about are Go, Shogi, and rumors. I 've managed to keep out of his way for years, but for some reason he suddenly seems out to get me. '

***

A few days later, Gaoshun told him, 'I 've heard a rumor you might be interested in. '

They were on their way back from rounds at the rear palace, and Jinshi replied, 'A rumor? '

'Yes. I might have an explanation as to why Master Lakan continues to visit. '

'That 's a rumor I 'd certainly be interested in hearing. '

Gaoshun nodded, 'I thought you might. I had to do a little digging to confirm what I 've heard, but the crux of the matter is Xiaomao. Apparently, Master Lakan has been attempting to purchase her from the brothel for the last several years. At least a decade. Possibly longer. '

Jinshi stopped moving for a moment, he 'd nearly tripped in disgusted surprise. 'Since she was a child? '

'Yes. '

It was too disturbing. Too familiar. Jinshi 's stomach lurched, 'We need to keep him away from her. '

'Agreed, sir. '

As the hours ticked by, Jinshi was glad he finally had an explanation as to the strategist 's sudden interest in him, but knowing it was because of Maomao made him a mix of angry and sick. It was bad enough that the palace already had its hands full dealing with the aftermath of one pedophile 's decades of harm. Now, Jinshi was facing the fact that there was another one he was going to have to try to mitigate the harm of. What was wrong with these men? Weren 't there enough women their own age? Why did they fixate on children? All he could do was try to protect Maomao and the other young women and girls of the palace. He 'd asked Gaoshun to look into it and see if there was any evidence of other girls being gone after by the man. Jinshi wouldn 't be able to go to his older brother without concrete evidence, but once he had it, he knew his brother wouldn 't hesitate to act swiftly. After all, he 'd had even more years than Jinshi witnessing the disgusting behavior of their father that could not be stopped.

When Lakan made his appearance that afternoon, Jinshi felt no qualms about working while the man was there. He might not be able to bar the man from his office, but he was done giving him anymore of his time and attention. Lakan didn 't seem to mind and for the first several minutes he rambled about things that Jinshi didn 't know or care about. However, it was when Lakan said, 'It was a little over two decades ago I became friends with someone from the Verdigris House, ' that Jinshi 's ears perked up.

He paused his work and looked at Lakan. Maomao was younger than twenty. That meant Lakan was talking about someone else, and without thinking, Jinshi asked, 'What kind of courtesan was she? '

Lakan grinned, clearly pleased his bait had worked. 'Some said she was the best. Given her skill at Go and Shogi, I agree with that assessment. I was able to best her in Shogi, but she far surpassed my abilities in Go. I came close to buying out her contract. Seemed very unlikely I 'd ever meet a woman so talented and interesting again. Unfortunately, I wasn 't the only party interested. Two others, with wealth that far outstripped mine, started a bidding war over her. '

Unfortunately, Lakan was finally telling a story that Jinshi actually found interesting, despite his distaste for what he now believed to be true of the man 's proclivities. 'I see, ' he said.

Lakan nodded, 'She was a strange woman. Stood out from other courtesans. Only sold her abilities, never her body. Nor did she treat her customers like customers. She had a way of treating her customers as though they were little more than a peasant and she a queen that had deigned to give them a few moments of her time. I remember well how she would look at me. It was hardly what anyone would call kind or friendly, but it would send such a shiver of delight down my spine. I craved those looks more than you can possibly imagine. '

Lakan was wrong about that. As he 'd been speaking, a certain set of sapphire eyes and their variety of glares had come to Jinshi 's mind. He understood perfectly what the other man was saying. He hurriedly looked away, and his eyes landed on Gaoshun. It was plenty obvious Gaoshun knew exactly what Jinshi was thinking, and was trying very hard to hold in a laugh.

'It 's hardly a surprise that many men fell for her, and I 'm not ashamed to admit I was one of them. Of course, as time went on, I found myself wanting her more and more. I 'd have given anything to have her completely. And ultimately, I couldn 't let her go. She was far too expensive for me to afford, and I ended up resorting to something that could be considered a rather nasty trick. '

Jinshi truly despised the man, and especially despised the fact that he was so enthralled by the story he found himself asking, 'What kind of trick? '

'I lowered her value. Stripped her of her exquisiteness. Would you like to know how? '

Jinshi was disturbed by how casually the man spoke of something that was likely going to be horrifying. Voice like ice he asked, 'What did you do? '

Lakan smirked, 'If I give you that answer, I think first I should get something in return. I 've heard quite a bit about your new servant girl. She sounds quite fascinating. According to rumors that have been circulating, she 's quite skilled at solving the most impossible of puzzles. And I have quite the conundrum on my hands. Her assistance would be appreciated. '

'Is that so? ' Jinshi 's tone was guarded. He wasn 't about to let Lakan near Maomao, but he 'd at least hear the man out.

'Yes, I happen to have a friend, or rather had a friend. The man died quite recently. He was a metalworker, did quite a lot of work for the palace. He had three sons, all men he trained. Alas, it has turned out that not only did he not name a successor, he also had some techniques that were very unique that he appears to have taken to the grave. He left a will, and it 's a riddle. Seems the sort of thing that would be quite the treat for your servant girl. '

Jinshi made Lakan no promises. He told the man he 'd discuss the matter with Maomao, but he made it clear that the decision to investigate would be solely Maomao 's. When he returned home that evening, he found her and decided it would be better to just get it over with. Sitting down on the couch, he told her, 'I 'm sorry to trouble you about this, but I was presented with a problem this afternoon, and was asked to see what you made of it. '

She looked at him curiously, 'Oh? What is it? '

He proceeded to lay out the information Lakan had given him. Maomao listened intently and was almost eager in her willingness to investigate. He wasn 't quite sure what was going on with her, but he wasn 't going to complain. Well, that wasn 't completely true. He 'd now gone a few days without her bestowing a truly withering glare upon him, and he was missing them quite a lot. However, he was suddenly reminded of what Lakan had said about the courtesan from years earlier, and Jinshi decided he 'd be okay going without one of Maomao 's glares for a bit longer. He didn 't relish having anything in common with the strategist.

***

He hadn 't been truly alone with Maomao in days. Not since that night with the tea. She 'd proceeded to act like nothing had happened which was hardly a surprise. He noticed that she had a habit of feigning ignorance about all sorts of things. The problem was, most of the time he still couldn 't get a good read on when she was actually ignorant and when she was just pretending. He wasn 't sure why she did it either. His best guess was it was some kind of defense mechanism; against what, though, he wasn 't sure.

A new nightmare had taken up residence in his brain. Every night when he went to sleep, he would see Lakan coming to steal Maomao away in the dead of night. It bothered him so much, he set two extra guards to watch the house overnight. Specifically, watching the area where Maomao 's room was. He knew he was being paranoid, but the dreams truly frightened him.

He wasn 't surprised that Maomao easily solved the mystery of the metalworker 's will. Sometimes, the way her mind worked was truly astonishing. Even when she explained how she 'd done it, he was amazed at how quickly she 'd put the pieces together. He 'd like to think he 'd have figured it out as well, but he knew he 'd never have done so well or so fast as she had.

Lakan continued his daily visits, and when the mystery had been solved, he seemed quite pleased. Jinshi held his breath, thinking the man might have another request for Maomao, or even go so far as to suggest meeting with her, but he did neither. Nor did he hold up his end of the bargain. Jinshi knew it would probably be wiser to just let it be, but he was admittedly curious as to what the strategist had done, which led him to bring it up. 'You haven 't finished your story. '

Lakan looked at him blankly, 'I 'm afraid I don 't follow. Which story are you referring to? ' There was something strangely familiar about the way the man seemed oblivious.

'The one about the courtesan, ' Jinshi prompted.

'That 's right, ' Lakan said, 'I did leave that without an explanation. '

'You did. '

Lakan took a drink of the fruit juice he always had with him and then said, 'Seems like you don 't need me to answer it. After all, you already have someone in your home who knows that world intimately. ' Before Jinshi could say anything, Lakan stood and walked to the door saying, 'Goodness, look how late it 's gotten. Afraid I can 't linger. I 'll see you tomorrow. '

Jinshi watched the man depart and wanted to throw something. The man was infuriating. And to suggest asking Maomao about something like that. He shuddered thinking of how she might respond. There was absolutely no way that the answer was going to be pleasant. 'Damn the man, ' he growled and dropped his head onto his desk in exhausted frustration.

'Master Jinshi? '

Jinshi moved just enough to look at Gaoshun, 'Yes? '

'I know you 're exhausted, but I thought you 'd be interested to know that trader is back in town and has agreed to a meeting tomorrow, if you 're available. '

Jinshi immediately perked up, 'Am I available? '

'Everything you had planned for tomorrow can easily be rescheduled. '

'Excellent. Where does he want to meet? '

'It 's a restaurant on the edge of the pleasure district. Going incognito would be wise. '

***

Going incognito. He was going to need to look like a commoner, which meant his normal good looks were suddenly a very unique problem that had to be dealt with. Given that Maomao had the most recent experience being around commoners, he decided she might be his best option for tackling the issue.

He found her preparing dinner, and asked, 'How are your makeup skills? '

She set down what she was working on and looked at him, 'They 're not very impressive. Fairly basic. Why do you ask? '

'That 's perfect. I need your help with mine. '

The way she looked at him, one would 've thought he 'd spoken an unknown language. She shook her head, 'I 'm sorry, but I don 't understand, sir. '

He wasn 't sure what there was to understand, and replied, 'I need you to use your skills to assist with my makeup. '

And she still looked confused. Her brow furrowed, 'Pardon me for saying so, but makeup seems wildly unnecessary, unless you 're looking to topple the nation. '

'What are you talking about? ' Apparently, she wasn 't going to be happy being alone in feeling confused. He backtracked a bit, 'Wait, I think it 'd be better if I didn 't know. Can you tell me how you make your freckles? '

Her face cleared, 'Oh, that. It 's fairly simple. ' She pulled out a small clamshell and held it out to him, 'It 's just dried clay I mix with a little oil. '

He removed a small dollop and rubbed it on the back of his hand, 'How long does it take to make? '

'Not long. I can have some more made by tomorrow morning. ' She looked at his hand, 'That 's a bit too dark for your skin. I 'd need to thin out the mixture a little if you 're wanting to use it. '

'I don 't suppose there 's some kind of potion that would change my appearance, ' he joked.

She looked up at him with a wry smile, 'Oh, there are options, but there 'd be no going back. You 'd be stuck with the results for the rest of your life. '

'In that case, I think I 'll stick with a much more temporary option. ' He held her gaze, 'What 's the likelihood you could successfully make me look like a commoner? '

'Hmmm, ' she thought about his question for well over a minute before replying, 'I believe I could do it. It 'd take some work, but it 's certainly not impossible. Is this just a hypothetical question, or something you actually want me to do? '

'I want you to do it. '

She nodded, 'I see. And how soon are you planning to make this change? '

'Tomorrow morning. '

***

Early the next morning, she arrived with Suiren and Gaoshun like usual. In her hand, she carried a satchel that he assumed was filled with all the items needed to change his appearance. She took one look at him, and scowled deeply. It had been a while since she 'd looked so displeased with him and he was torn between greatly enjoying the fact she was still capable and feeling a slight revulsion at the fact it immediately reminded him of what Lakan had said. Still, he couldn 't resist grinning and teasing her, 'What could I have possibly done so early in the morning to have already earned such a look of contempt? '

'I was just noticing how beautiful you are, yet again. ' The words might 've been complimentary, but the tone certainly was not.

'You 're not usually quite so cantankerous so early in the morning. '

She sighed heavily, 'Yes, well, I wasn 't prepared for you to make even more work for me this morning than you already had. '

'And what exactly do you mean by that? '

She took a few steps closer and looked him up and down, 'Are you really wanting me to make you look like a commoner? '

He nodded, 'That is what I asked you to do. Make me look like a completely different person. '

She let out another heavy sigh, and walked so close, there was barely any space between them. 'Well, in that case, give me your hand. '

He did as she asked. She took hold of his wrist and proceeded to raise it to her nose and for several seconds she sniffed both his skin and the fabric of his robe. 'What are you doing? ' he asked once he 'd recovered a bit from the shock of the fact that she was not only willingly touching him but also smelling him.

She let go of him and stepped back, 'No commoner smells like you do. They simply can 't afford to. Not to mention, your clothing is, at best, what a lower ranking official would wear. '

He glanced down at his clothes in surprise. He 'd picked out his simplest outfit, but apparently it was still too nice for what he had in mind. Looking back at her, he saw she was still assessing his appearance, and she said, 'Brothels can discern quite a lot about a customer based simply off their scent. '

'Not their clothes? ' he asked in surprise.

'Oh, the clothes are definitely taken into consideration, but you 'd be amazed at what different scents can indicate. For example, those who wear showy scents aren 't just wealthy, they frequently are covering up the fact they have venereal diseases, and those who stink like a stable are dirty and haven 't bathed in a good long while. '

With that said, she fell to work. She sent Gaoshun off to locate new clothes, with the order, 'Something that hasn 't been washed recently. The more offensive it smells, the better. ' Next, she filled a bucket of water from his bath and poured something into it. Stepping behind Jinshi, she said, 'Your hair is far too clean. It 's a dead giveaway. '

She applied the mixture to his hair, and he was simultaneously in both heaven and hell. For months he 'd dreamt of having her fingers in his hair, and it was as glorious as he 'd hoped. Unfortunately, it was rather awkward having Suiren present, observing the entire thing. It made him feel strangely uncomfortable, like he was being a naughty child for enjoying Maomao 's touch. The more she worked his hair, the lewder his thoughts became, which in turn led to him feeling more and more embarrassed. He wanted to ask Suiren to leave, but knew very well she wasn 't about to leave them alone, unchaperoned.

By the time she was finished with his hair, he was thoroughly decided that for the foreseeable future, he 'd be requesting she dry his hair, instead of Suiren. It was too delicious of a thing to resist, and after all, they had already briefly discussed it. Just not to the extent that he 'd decided he wanted.

The outfit Gaoshun procured was foul. At least, everyone but Maomao seemed to think so. She took a few sniffs and said, 'It 'll do. I 'd have preferred something stinkier, but I can work with this. ' Turning back to Jinshi, she calmly stated, 'Master Jinshi, please remove your clothes. '

It was certainly not how he 'd envisioned being mostly naked in front of her the first time. It was a little disappointing that Maomao seemed completely unbothered by seeing him that way. He 'd hoped there would at least be a slight flush to her cheeks or that her eyes would widen a little in surprise at his well-honed physique. Instead, she looked completely unaffected, and proceeded to walk around him in a circle, studying his body with the same level of emotion she 'd show when brewing tea. Thanks to the concoction he gagged down every night, at least he didn 't have to deal with a certain part of his anatomy making itself embarrassingly known when she leaned in and fully took in his abdominal muscles.

Finally, she stepped back and with the help of Gaoshun and Suiren, went about fully padding his body with towels. By the time they got the odoriferous garment onto him, his body was no longer sleek and trim. Instead, he appeared to be quite heavy. As long as no one actually touched him, the illusion would be successful.

Maomao was satisfied and ordered him to sit so she could do his makeup. 'Shut your eyes, ' she told him, and once he did, she began applying the mixture she 'd made to his face. Her fingers moved with gentle firmness as she worked the mixture. At one point, he felt her finger on his lips. She swiped it across both the upper and lower and again he was exceedingly grateful for the drink he 'd consumed the night before. Still, it took all his willpower not to do something incredibly foolish, like suck her finger into his mouth.

A few seconds after she lifted her finger off his lips, he felt her rub at them hard with a cloth. It was incredibly uncomfortable, and he grimaced, 'Ow. What is going on? '

'Nothing to worry about. All just part of the process, young master, ' Suiren assured him. Though, given her tone, he suspected that something had just happened that he absolutely should be worried about.

Finally, after what felt like decades, Maomao said, 'Alright, you can open your eyes. '

He did and asked, 'Are you finished? '

She shook her head, 'Not quite. I need to deal with your hands. '

He watched, utterly entranced, as her tiny hands lifted one of his, and she examined it. Her touch was light as she swept her finger over the back of his, applying more of the mixture. She then flipped his hand over and studied the palm. For a few moments, she seemed completely distracted as her finger traced over the callouses that had formed after years of sword training. 'These are ' ' she murmured softly. Whatever she 'd meant to say went unfinished, and she suddenly straightened and dropped his hand, turning her attention to the other.

Finally, she stepped back and gave him a careful once over. She nodded, 'Good. Just a few more things. ' She went to her bag and dug out a couple more items. Undoing a cork, she held out a bamboo cylinder with the command, 'Drink this. Drink the entire thing. '

The smell was off-putting and he frowned, 'What is it? '

'It 's not poison, if that 's what you 're thinking. It 's going to irritate your throat and help change your voice. Drink it. '

Somehow he managed to get it down. How, was anyone 's guess. If anyone other than Maomao had ordered him to, it was likely he wouldn 't have been able. Once he finished, he handed the empty container back and she traded it for a package of cotton she 'd opened. 'One more thing. Stuff that in your cheeks, ' she ordered, 'It 'll make the shape of your face change. '

Again he did as asked. Once finished, he watched her step back and study her work. She walked around him twice, and then said, 'I 'm done. You 're ready. '

She began to pack everything she 'd brought back into the satchel she 'd come in with, and as she did, she said, 'Don 't forget, I 'm heading home today. '

To Jinshi 's surprise, Gaoshun spoke up, 'When are you planning to leave? '

She paused and looked over her shoulder at him, 'Just as soon as I finish putting all this away. Was there something else you needed? '

'It just occurred to me that Master Jinshi 's going to be headed the same direction. What a fortunate coincidence. '

Jinshi stared at the man with almost as much confusion as Maomao did. What was Gaoshun thinking? A question that he didn 't have to wait long to hear the answer to. Gaoshun was smiling, which was the first indicator the man had something up his sleeve. The older man stated, 'It would undo all your hard work if Master Jinshi were to travel with his usual attendant. '

'I hadn 't thought of that, but it 's an excellent point, ' Suiren interjected.

Gaoshun turned to him and asked, 'Wouldn 't it be better if Xiaomao accompanied you, Master? '

The pieces fell into place, and Jinshi had to resist the urge to smile at their meddling. He simply nodded, 'It would be quite helpful. '

Maomao looked less than pleased and immediately pointed out to Gaoshun, 'There are several people in the pleasure district that know I work for Master Jinshi. Having me accompany him wouldn 't solve the issue you 're bringing up. '

Suiren laughed, and from seemingly nowhere, she produced a box, 'Not to worry, we 'll just have to put you in your own disguise.

Maomao looked at the woman, 'I 'm not sure ' '

But before she could say anything else, Suiren turned to Jinshi and Gaoshun, pointed at the door and ordered, 'Out. I have work to do. '