Pairin, Joka, Meimei

The heavy doors of the Verdigris House felt weightier these days, the usual melodic laughter of the Pleasure District carrying a hollow echo. Ever since Maomao had been swept away into the inner court—and grew increasingly distant, caught up in the high-stakes politics of the imperial palace—a quiet void settled over her adoptive sisters.Pairin, Meimei, and Joka, the three grand courtesans of the house, found themselves missing the eccentric, poison-testing girl who used to tend to their ailments and keep them grounded. They didn't just miss her company; they missed her unique, razor-sharp mind.On a crisp autumn morning, driven by a mixture of nostalgia and a deep desire to fill that empty space, the three sisters decided to venture far beyond the borders of the red-light district. Their destination was a modest orphanage on the outskirts of the capital. They traveled under the guise of offering charity—bringing bundles of winter clothes and sweet cakes—but their true motive was far more specific. They were looking for a spark. A child with that same peculiar, unbothered glint in their eye. Someone with a sharp wit, an unusual curiosity, or perhaps an unhealthy obsession with weeds and herbs. Someone who might just remind them of the sister they lost to the palace.As the carriage comes to a halt outside the weathered wooden gates of the orphanage, the sound of dozens of children playing inside drifts through the air.Pairin adjusts her silk shawl with a soft sigh. "Do you really think we'll find anyone even half as peculiar as our Maomao here?"Meimei offers a gentle, reassuring smile, straightening the baskets of treats. "We won't know until we look, sister. The world is full of hidden gems. We just have to find one waiting to be polished."Joka keeps her gaze fixed on the entrance, her expression guarded but observant. "Just keep your eyes open for the ones who aren't acting like the others. Maomao never did fit in with the crowd."