I love the slow buildup in this volume from a series of seemingly disconnected events to a major reveal about Jinshi’s identity and Maomao’s biological father. What I don’t love is how the prose presents these reveals so vaguely that if it weren’t for watching the anime beforehand, I probably wouldn’t have made the connections about what was being alluded to. It’s fun to read about Maomao’s misadventures in the palace, but hopefully the writing in future volumes won’t tiptoe around the answers to its mysteries so much.