Work Text:
The entire evening started poorly enough. Yao wanted to have a girls night to bemoan the fact that the man she had a crush on wouldn't pay her any attention.
That in itself wouldn't be a problem if:
- The man in question wasn't Maomao's technically older brother, who was sincerely a poor choice (he only cared about numbers and homewrecking)
- En-En, Yao's childhood best friend, wasn't completely in love with the young woman and also in the room with them
Really, Yao's situation is helpless in plenty of ways. Lahan’s truly uninterested and tried to convey so in a myriad of forms, but Yao's romantic and competitive nature just couldn't accept such an answer, privately Maomao commended his decency not to take advantage of her naive affections.
Besides, Yao still hasn't figured out that En-En has been in love with her ever since they were twelve. Another hopeless case since Yao is definitely not lesbian nor inclined in such a way.
It is a sad situation all around.
At least the girls got booze for this little gathering so not all is lost. Though how this friendship came to be was rather unclear.
The three young women met at the start of Yao’s and En-En's first year of University, Maomao was a second year student and working as the TA for "Introduction of Local Flora”, they were all students of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) at the University of Hong Kong. Maomao was also one of the two students selected to study both TCM and western medicine, it would increase the original four years course to six, but Maomao planned to graduate in about five.
The upsetting truth was that currently they were actually the only three women enrolled while there were about fifteen to twenty men each year, somehow that meant that they had to stick together, at least according to Yao.
So now, more than a year later, it means that Maomao is apparently obligated to listen to Yao drunkenly pining after a slimy man.
En-En is glaring at her like it's her fault Yao is this sad puddle when Maomao didn't even introduce her to that guy, they were the ones that insisted on staying at the weirdo's house, Maomao didn't even live there.
Quietly lamenting not being able to go back to her studies, she tries once more to placate Yao.
“Yao, not everyone is attracted to who we want them to be, it cannot be helped, besides you could do so much better than this scrawny guy.”
Just when En-En had stopped glaring at her and nodding in approval it was Yao's turn.
“That's an awful thing to say! He is a really great guy. There is still a lot of prejudice with a woman working a job involving blood, do you know how hard it is to meet a guy that is supportive? You wouldn't know about it because you just don't care about these things.”
Maomao sighs, Lahan is uncaring of a stranger's life choices, that is different from being supportive. However...
“You are correct.”
Maomao is truly not one to know about these things, she knows her studies are her passion and either someone joins her for the ride or they don't. But she can't help but smile fondly remembering that someone had joined her for the ride.
“Miss Yao is right that Miss Maomao doesn't care about these things, but she is wrong to think that Miss Maomao doesn't know. Miss Chue thinks that her boyfriend is proof enough that Miss Maomao is doing something right!”
The fourth participant in the conversation was the so-called Miss Chue, a very peculiar character. She studied International Relationships and one day had looked at Maomao and simply glued herself to the other woman, or that was the impression Maomao got.
“What?” Comes Yao's reply. En-En is not doing much better, looking at Maomao like she is reevaluating everything she knows.
“You have a boyfriend?”
“Is it the person that picks you up when things run late?”
“You have a boyfriend?!” Yao asked with a flabbergasted expression. This one was a little rude of Yao.
Honestly, the reaction was far too dramatic to what the situation called for, but Maomao could understand the overall sentiment.
While she understood perfectly well how she got a boyfriend, she didn’t particularly understand how she was able to keep one, there had to be more to it than him having odd tastes.
“Well, to be more accurate he is her fiance now. But they still go by boyfriend and girlfriend.” Miss Chue was unhelpful as usual.
“Technically we go by neither.”
That was true, they never introduced each other by such titles. Even when meeting the family they only ever stated the other name, obviously, by the time the meeting the family occurred said families had already heard enough stories to understand that girlfriend/boyfriend simply didn't cut it. It's not that the title didn't fit, but it didn't cover things in the entirety.
“Since when have you been dating this guy?” Yao suddenly looks more sober than she was five minutes ago.
“Hmm, almost four years now.”
It became official during the break between second and third year of high school.
“What? We have known you for almost two years and we are only hearing about this now?” Yao has a small frown between her eyebrows and slightly down turned lips, Maomao knows she looks like this when she doesn't get the right answer in exercises and tests.
“Miss Yao, it's not a slight against your friendship. Miss Maomao is just a very awkward person.”
Maomao doesn't understand how her social aptitude could have resulted in Yao's overdramatic reaction to her non single status, but it doesn't really matter since Yao and En-En are nodding at Miss Chue like it makes perfect sense so Maomao considers the matter resolved.
“So, how did the two of you meet?” Asks En-En.
“We went to the same high school.”
Maomao skipped a year of school and joined high school a year earlier than her peers. One of her older sisters, Joka, convinced her to apply for a scholarship at a fancy boarding school. It would give her an advantage when trying for university and lift the cost of housing her from her elderly dad. The school itself would provide boarding, food and transportation.
Maomao didn't really care for education, but to work for their apothecary shop she would need a university degree and her dad said if she's going to get a degree either way she might as well learn something.
To maintain her scholarship she would have to be at the top three of all of her classes. The school itself was a very fancy school that used to be for old noble families before it was selectively opened. The buildings were a well maintained old palace, the grounds covered every activity imaginable, from horse riding and canoeing to gardening and pools. Due to the old buildings and secluded location the school was known in the rich circle as the Rear Palace.
“Maomao you are terrible at keeping conversations going, you know that right? And how did you two meet in high school?”
Maomao is not interested in this conversation.
“I suppose the same way you meet anyone in school, you have classes with them.”
“Not necessarily, you can meet at school grounds like the library, or at clubs, or can have mutual friends.”
“I see. We had classes together.”
The three women stare at Maomao, she doesn't understand what else they could want.
There were only fourteen students in her class, they would have all mandatory lessons together for the three years of high school.
Lessons started at 10am and lasted until 16pm. After this they could choose whatever lessons until 18pm.
Jinshi was a young man of celestial beauty with a vexing sparkly disposition that would grace her with his presence for the next three entire years. All the student body and the teachers seemed to be taken with his heavenly appearance and powerful family. His interest in Maomao started simply for the fact that for the first time in his life smiling at someone wasn't enough to make them trip over themselves. In short, a very annoying pest.
Maomao wouldn't care to interact with him, but a teacher put them as a pair to a project and he sought her out all seductive smiles saying he hoped they could work well together, it made her skin crawl and she had to focus on not gagging. Basically it meant she was going to get all the work and he would get all the credit. Maomao was torn between going along to avoid interacting with him or making this spoiled brat work for the first time in his life.
In the end, the choice was taken from her when he found her again to debate ideas and set a chronogram for the project. Turns out that as much as she hated interacting with him, working with him was surprisingly enjoyable, he was definitely annoying, but he was also annoyingly effective. They completed the project shortly and got the best grade in class.
After that, they ended up together for nearly all projects at school. It seems that everyone wanted to be his partner but it was difficult to work with people that would keep staring at him and sighing, some even touched him too much or tried to steal things or gift things, apparently beauty came with it's own issues. And no one wanted to partner with Maomao since she was a scholarship student. (Jinshi later told her it was more due to her lack of social skills that put them off and their classmates had indeed tried to get to know her).
And so she spent three years working with him.
“Okay, you met by having classes together. And how did you guys start dating?”
Maomao blinks. “He asked me out on a date.”
En-En looks at her like she is planning on throwing her out of the window, Yao hides her face in a couch pillow and screams, Miss Chue's smile is twitching.
“Damn Miss Maomao. We truly couldn't guess that.”
Well, what did they expect? Isn't this how people start dating, one asks and the other agrees?
Oh, Maomao understands now.
“I agreed to go on a date with him.” She clarifies, nodding, satisfied with clearing up the misunderstanding.
Yao drops to the floor and stares at the ceiling. Miss Chue sighs while her shoulders drop. En-En glares at Maomao while clutching a pillow.
Jinshi's interest with her started because she didn't care about his looks and actually made him work. Once novelty wore off the challenge to charm her began. When their second year of high school started she was sure he would have moved on. He didn't, instead it seems he doubled down.
Compliments about her brilliance, and kindness and whatever he could come up with. Though when he complimented her beauty she had enough and took him to the school clinic to get his eyes checked, when that came clean she tried to sign him up for a psychological evaluation, unfortunately finding her beautiful was not enough to convince the attending physician that he was mentally unwell. (It’s been five years and he still smiles ruefully as he jabs her about it.)
Then there were the wishful smiles and the longing looks and the gift giving. At least he had stopped touching her and grabbing her all the time.
During summer break between the second and third year, Jinshi took her to travel to Mexico, a trip that was supposed to be about ancient architecture for him and exotic medicinal plants for Maomao and ir was! Unfortunately for him, he was also made to listen a lot about how advanced the Mayans dental care was and the different procedures they were known for doing and the materials they used for such and… well.
During a night out, there was an attempt by a few men to drag Maomao into a dark corner when Jinshi stepped out to take a call. It was a close enough call that when they got back to the hotel, instead of going back to her room she went to his and let him hold her while they slept.
On the way back home, she leaned over him and kissed him, a gentle touch of their lips.
If she was ever to be frank, she did it because she wanted to, of course. But also, because she knew what men are like. Once they got what they wanted they would lose interest, they liked the adrenaline of the chase, of wanting something they didn't have. Jinshi was her closest friend, they developed a great rapport for their works and a sense of companionship and Maomao would rather lose this on her own terms.
He looked at her so gently and her stomach twisted with the certainty it would be over shortly.
En-En takes a deep breath.
“Alright Maomao. You met your current boyfriend at high school where the two of you shared a classroom. Eventually he asked you out and you agreed. And the two of you have been together ever since. Correct?”
“Correct.”
“When did you get together?”
“During the summer between second and third year.”
Yao took a deep breath and sat up with a determined face.
“What is his name?” Yao interferes.
Well, that's a little complicated. But Maomao calls him…
“Jinshi.”
“Why did we never meet him?”
“Our schedules don't really match.”
“Why do you never mention him?”
“I'm sure I must have. Just not by a title or his name.”
In truth, she and Jinshi just met at evenings and weekends. Late at night she brings him tea and snacks if he is still working late, during weekends he cooks or buys food and reminds her to eat. Talking about him is like talking about an interesting cloud formation or the changing season, little things that make her feel good but seem almost too trivial to share out of the blue.
“He is her housemate.” Miss Chue chirps in.
“The two of you live together?!” Yao looks like she wants to suffocate Maomao with a pillow.
“Yes.”
After seeing each other everyday at school, Jinshi didn't take well to the separation after school was over. The original plan was for Maomao to apply for the dorms and Jinshi was given an apartment as a gift from his family, as was common practice for them.
He got a five bedroom apartment near enough to the campus and Maomao helped him find furniture and appliances during the break. Wasn't that a reality check? She wanted to run away from the prices of a majority of his purchases. (Who needs a forty thousand yuan couch?! Maomao's family could survive on this money for months)
But he convinced Maomao to come live with him, stating she could even have her own bedroom, something she knew as a lie. By the end of the school year Jinshi created a habit of sleeping in whatever bed she decided to go to, her own or his. So even if she officially had her own bedroom she had no delusions on whether or not she would have company.
Only after they had a brief discussion with his family about their approval of the two of them living together, something Maomao requested to listen to straight from his mother and older brother, then and only then Maomao agreed to move in with him.
Between his classes and advisor job at his family's company plus her own classes and extracurriculars they wouldn't be seeing each other if they didn't live together.
His family were perfectly fine paying for everything, including a maid once a week and stated the house was his to invite whoever he wanted. And they weren't surprised that they wanted to live together after having gotten used to seeing each other every day, but they thought Maomao would convince Jinshi to move to the dorms with her.
While she briefly considered it, his work was very important and mostly not public knowledge and people tended to crawl into his bed in the middle of the night. The dorms were far too unsafe for someone of his otherworldly beauty and standing.
And so, they moved in together, they shared a bedroom, each one of them had a study room/office, a rarely used guest bedroom and a gym, much to Maomao's chagrin. Maomao's greenhouse was the previous formal dining room.
Even that was odd in their relationship, shouldn't people have little pains when settling in? Dirty laundry or dishes placement? Maomao and Jinshi moved in seamlessly, like two pieces of a puzzle slotting together. Obviously having a maid helped tremendously, but Maomao cooked for them and Jinshi stayed nearby enough to learn and help, he took care of laundry and reminded her to eat and every other night they sat together with a bottle of wine to enjoy each other's company.
If Maomao was one to start fights, she would complain about not having any complaints.
“Miss Chue called him your fiance, so he asked you in marriage?”
“That's something I will have to confirm with him.”
“What do you mean you will have to confirm? Did he give you a ring?”
“Yes.”
“Did he ask you in marriage?”
“I'm confident he didn't ask any questions.”
It was actually two rings, one that was discreet and masterfully carved with opium poppies and another one that slotted into the first one that had a half moon shaped gemstone, a nod to his official name. Apparently the second one was for when they attended public functions and the first one for daily wear, discreet enough that she wouldn't have problems putting lab gloves on top of it.
He presented the pair of rings along with one for himself and placed them on her digitus medicinalis, commonly referred as the ring finger, he did start saying something about cherishing her for forever but Maomao tunned him out due to sheer embarrassment and the realization that the flowers carved were indeed opium flowers.
Jinshi always had excellent taste for gifts.
“So you don't know if you are engaged.”
Maomao frowns. “That's correct.”
Yao drops to the floor again and screams into the pillow.
“Please, my lady, calm down.”
“I don't get it! How did this even happen?”
“Miss Chue believes that Miss Maomao's fiance knows her very very well.”
“How?! She doesn't even know if he asked her in marriage!”
“That's not a crisis, I can just text him and ask.”
“Maomao, this is not a conversation one has through text.” En-En points out.
“Well, in this case you guys don't mind waiting till Tuesday?”
Yao and En-En exchange a look.
“Fine, text him.”
Maomao does.
“He is probably working and won't answer in a while.”
“It's Friday at 11PM.”
“Indeed. I will also tell him he has to leave work to come pick me up too.”
En-En and Yao exchange another look, but Maomao misses this one busy as she is.
As predicted, the girls clean up a little before Maomao receives her answer.
“I started to worry that you would never ask, it has been almost five months.”
“As I stated when I first gave them to you. Yes Maomao, they are engagement rings. Do inform me, what has brought this on?”
Jinshi must be pretty annoyed to be talking to her this way. Maybe, waiting five months to confirm their engagement is too long of a time, but in her defense every time the rings came to her head she got busy admiring the engraving.
“Apologies, I got distracted by the poppies. The girls were asking.”
Maomao can argue that her distraction is his fault, he is indeed exceptional at gift giving and chose an amazing ring she adored so he should be happy about it. Besides, by now he should know better than to give her a beloved gift right before attempting an important conversation with her.
A pleasant shiver runs down her spine at the memory of her precious ox besoar.
“I'm glad you enjoy the poppies so much, and yes, I will pick you up in thirty.”
Pleased to have her answer and an escape route, Maomao doesn't notice herself smiling softly at the phone while the three other women stare at her.
Maomao lifts her head to look at them and her smile dies.
“Yes, it's an engagement ring and my ride will get here in thirty minutes.”
“Well, congratulations Maomao, all that's left is for you to introduce us now.”
“Not tonight, the night has already been long enough.”
“Of course.”
Yao smile sardonically at Maomao.
“All of that and I don't think I can take relationship advice from you.”
Maomao stares at Yao. “I never stated you should. But Miss Chue is married if you are looking for another source.”
“What?!?!”
Maomao sighs, Jinshi couldn't get here fast enough.
A long night indeed.