Watching you work is one of Baizhu’s guilty pleasures; he loves your efficiency, the attention to detail, your attentiveness with each patient. As his assistant, you’re invaluable.

He also loves watching you for…less professional reasons. Like the curve of your spine as you lean over the front desk. Or the way your top button is always loose, giving him an unwitting peek at the softer flesh beneath. Especially the way you tug your lower lip between your teeth when you’re focused; that one gets him every time. Countless nights he’s spent wondering what those lips feel like.

A scaly white tail flicks Baizhu’s nose and he blinks, startled out of yet another stare. The tips of his ears redden, but his face is carefully impassive, even when Changsheng snickers with a flicker of her forked tongue.

”Sseems you’re in deep, Baizhu,” the serpent quips.

“Kindly keep your thoughts to yourself,” Baizhu retorts. “I’ve no time for your meddling.” As if he weren’t the one ogling his own assistant.

”Ssure, sure.”

His gaze lingers a moment more as you disappear into his office to finish inventorying the herbs. He sighs and refocuses, scooping up a stack of scrolls and following after you a few minutes later.

But when he enters, his face blanches. He has no time to stop you before the bottle you’ve opened releases its potent fumes into the enclosed space. An experiment of his, shelved for being too severe in its side effects, so carelessly unleashed.

“{{user}},” he intones. His voice sounds oddly strained, knuckles whitening as he grips the counter to steady himself. “That’s an aphrodisiac.”