54 Content

Mai heard a voice from far away, she wanted to ignore it and continue her dream. The dream had made no sense but it was extremely fun. If Mai held her breath than she could fly similar to what Kirby does. She had traveled all over a kingdom helping people with various tasks.

Unfortunately the voice didn't go away just because Mai wished it too. It had gotten even louder, calling for her to wake up. "But I don't want too" Mai cried out as she groaned. Swatting her hand in the direction of the person that was bugging her.

"Mai, it's already past lunchtime and you promised Zheng Li to make it. You wouldn't want him to be sad because he can't eat your cooking do you?" Han Bing asked Mai who was lying peacefully by his side. "How long was I sleeping?" Mai asked in confusion. Her body was the epitome of contentment, every muscle seemed relaxed

Mai grumbled even louder as she yawned. Slowly opening her eyes to adjust to her new surroundings stretching out her arms in the process.

"Only a hour or two" Han bing replied with a smile as he looked down towards Mai.

"You stayed with me the whole time?" Mai asked in surprise. She realized that her overly comfy pillow was Han Bings lap.

"Mmmhmm" Han bing said while his smile deepened.

Mai stared into his beautiful eyes. They sparked with emotion as the world around them grew smaller to only contain the two of them. Mai felt butterflies in her stomach as she continued to look at him. Earlier there hand been desire clouding over the other emotions that she could see but now there were plenty. Love was there along with happiness, excitement, longing, and a few others that she couldn't name.

Mai traced her hand up Han bings face and left it resting against his left cheek where his scar was. Rubbing her thumb over the light mark that overlaid his face.

"It gives you a lot of character" Mai whispered. Mai was unsure about how Han Bing thought about the scars that covered his body. She now knew that almost none of them he deserved. He didn't obtain them in a battle or training but at the whim of a unstable man who hated him.

Han Bings face darkened as he moved her hand away from his left cheek. His body was shaking under her, growing tense in unease. Han Bings eyes now held nothing of the earlier emotions but was consumed by a silent rage that had been brewing the moment he had tried to send Mai away for her safety.

Mia was concerned when she saw his reaction. Deep down she knew that she would have handle the whole situation a lot worse than he currently was. Mai replace her hand back against his face mummer softly as she gave him a light kiss on his cheek.

"I think nothing less of you because of them" Mai said in a soft comforting voice. "I think they make you look distinguished and they are a little sexy" Mai barely mumbled out the last part.

The look of hope on Han Bings face almost made Mai cry for him.

"Thank you" Han bing quietly said "you are a treasure Mai."

Mai smiled at Han Bing giving him a light hug in the process of getting up.

"Now I'm sure you mentioned Zheng Li being sad about not getting any lunch but you are probably feeling that way too right" Mai asked with a chuckle trying to lighten the mood to something more pleasant.

Han Bings face grew flushed as he realized that she had heard his earlier comment. "Perhaps" he grumbled out.

"Don't worry I won't make you help out this time" Mai said giving him a wink. "Unless you have been practicing?"

Han Bing coughed as he tried to not choke at what Mai was saying.

"I'll take that for as a no" Mai said laughing at Han Bings reaction.

—

Mai was delighted to learn that her four original servants had accompanied Han bing on his journey out of the capital. She had grown rather attached to them all even the two that she rarely saw unless they were all cooking together.

Zhi Ruo had the soft, comforting mother style that came so naturally to her. Mai remember her first few days when she cried in her arms. Whereas Zhi Yan was as close to a friend that she had acquired in this time period. When they were alone they both dropped the honorifics that came from Mia being a lady and Zhi Yan a servant.

There faces all grew in excitement when they seen Mai enter the kitchen earlier.

"Mai!" Zhi Yan had called out in excitement unsure if she could believe that it was truly Mai in front of her. The others all seemed just as bewildered but shared similar degrees of excitement.

"Are you in charge of making lunch today?" Zhi Yan called out licking her lips.

"Mmhm" Mai said while nodding her head. She couldn't believe there reaction to her just appearing out of the blue. She didn't realize that she had such a deep impact on all of them before.

Zhi Yan eyes grew gigantic while her smile could have lit up the room "and what are we making!"

"Crispy sesame chicken" Mai called out already knowing that they were going to fall in love with the new dish that she was going to introduce them too. "We need chicken, eggs, flour, seasoning, fat, soy sauce, peppers, garlic, sesame seeds, brown sugar, rice, and honey"

"Yes madam" the servants all replied as they went in different directions to see if they had the ingredients that had been called out.

Mai hoped that they had most of the ingredients, as long as there was honey and flour than she could make something that resembled what she had loved back on Earth.

Ying Yue was the first one back she returned with the honey, and soy sauce.

Feng Mian came a little later returning with the garlic, pepper, salt and flour. Unfortunately for Mai she could not find any brown sugar that had been stalked in the pantry.

ZHi Ruo also returned with the other seasonings and fat around the same time as Zhi Yan who had walked in with the eggs and chicken.

Zhi Yan's hands held a chicken that had just gotten its head cut off and its feathers plucked. Although Mai was no vegetarian and enjoyed meat the thought about killing the animal right in front of her was too much and she silently thanked a higher power that she had servants that could do it for her.

Still the city girl in Mai shuddered when she saw pretty much a chicken that she had seen running around earlier lying still in front of her. Mai had been to many petting farms when she was younger and regretted that they had to die in order for there to be meat to eat.

"Lets get started" Mai called out when she saw that everyone had returned with most of the ingredients that she had called out for.