Days had pa.s.sed, with each one Mai got a little more concerned than the last. There had been no word from Han Bing or what type of condition he was in. Mai remembered everything that the Emperor had done to her and that was when she was simply a chef, never mind someone he hated. She couldn"t imagine what twisted thoughts ran through the Emperor"s mind.She spent her days doing the same routine: waking up, working out, making lunch, thinking for a while, sometimes visiting Zheng Lin, making dinner then lying in the gra.s.s thinking about what the future might hold. At night she would picture there previous encounter and rub herself to satisfaction. To most it would seem dull and boring but it was this routine that helped Mai from freaking out over Han Bings absence.
"Mai, there is someone at the gate for you." Zhi Ruo said with raised brows and a confused tone.
"What?" Mai thought to herself "I don"t know anyone here though."
"Send them away" Mai said with a sigh not wishing to deal with anyone lately.
"They say that they are your father" Zhi Ruo finally let out why she looked so confused.
Mai blank face started to drift into thought. "I did transmog here and didn"t know anything about the past with this body. However, whoever it might be I doubt that it was this bodies father. How could he possible have let his daughter get killed and still have good intentions."
"Let"s see what this man wants, but he is not my father" Mai replied coldly. These past few days without Han Bing had left her with little patience.
"Right away, mistress" Zhi Ruo said as she went to retrieve the man. "I will bring him to the guest sitting area, come whenever you are ready, Zhi Yan will bring you."
"Mm" is all that Mai replies with as her eyes sharpen.
"Is it really just a coincidence that this man would appear after Han Bing is stuck at the palace? Is it perhaps another game?" Mai thought to herself. She hated historical dramas on tv that included had the harem fighting with each other, to gain power. She had always been a straightforward person finding that there was too much effort involved in keeping up lies.
Zhi Yan appeared "are you ready mistress?" She said in a calm and respectable tone. One that didn"t resemble what she typically acted like at all. Mai realized that there was a lot that Zhi Yan was good at and keeping fronts was one of them.
"Indeed, let"s go meet my so called father" Mai said.
Zhi Yan led Mai through the manor into a area that she had never been to before. It looked like a expensive sitting room, with its statues and scrolls covering the walls.
The man who had been calmly sitting there looked up when he heard them approach. He had a rather young appearance to be her father. His hair had yet to turn grey and he still had a handsome face.
"Zumi!" he shouted out running towards her "I finally found you." The man said while attempting to give her a hug.
Zhi Yan had stood directly in his way and would move with him if he attempted to go around her.
"Zumi, don"t tell me you don"t remember me?" The man said with a pout on his face.
Mai just stared at him trying to see if any of there details matched. "They did have a tiny bit of resemblance" Mai thought to herself "maybe he actually is who he says."
"Come on Zumi, I always spoiled you at home. You really dont remember?" The man tried to explain more looking sad.
"Perhaps you should first state your name, instead of father" Mai said, her voice dripping in ice.
The man shivered as he stared at her. You could almost see his brain thinking about what could possible have made his daughter speak to him in that tone.
"I am Qin Junjie, adviser to the Emperor" The man said proudly, not knowing how much that had actually ruined his chances of getting anywhere today.
"The adviser to the Emperor you say?" Mai asks in thought. Deep down she could help but shudder thinking that this truly was just another game.
"You disappeared 2 months ago, no one could find you. Then out of nowhere I see you at the cooking contest in the palace. I was completely shocked as to why you were there and under Han Bings banner no less. Don"t you know the dangers of staying here Zumi?" Qin Junjie said with concern as he glanced around.
"Did the Emperor send you?" Mai asked. She didn"t want to keep this game going on longer than it needed to.
The man"s shocked expression and hurt in his eyes actually made Mai think that he might be telling the truth and wasn"t here to cause extra problems.
"Of course not, he is currently…. Busy" Qin Junjie replies. Everyone in the room knows what the Emperor is busy with.
"So what do you want father?" Mai asked.
"Zumi, don"t be so rude to your father" Qin Junjie said. After he realized that she might be warming up to him he reattempted to hug her. However, Zhi Yan still blocked his path. Qin Junjie slightly sulked when he couldn"t hug his own daughter. "How … How did you end up here?" He asks.
"Shouldn"t I be asking you that question father?" Mai had to bite back the bitterness in her voice. Even if she did love it here and wouldn"t change it for the world. This man had still let this so called precious daughter of his die.
"What?" The man looked shocked at her question. "Ask me, I have no idea, that"s why I am asking you."
"I do not remember" Mai said honestly.
"You disappeared from the manor when I was out of the city with the guard." Qin Junjie said with a sad face. "I honestly thought that I would never see you again. I gave every guard in the manor the ultimatum of finding you or dying for there crime. I was about to carry out my threat with all the pain I was in when I saw you standing there defying the Emperor. A part of me was terrified that he had seen you, I had kept you hidden all these years from him. Another part of me was so excited that I almost couldn"t contain it. …. Zumi please believe me" Qin Junjie looked at Mai with nothing but fatherly love.
"I have to get you out of here so that you are not in danger… this is the worst that the Emperor has ever done to that boy" Qin Junjie continued with true fear shining through on his face.