How To Melt An Ice Cube 40 Come Out, Come Out Where Ever You Are

Mai had thought that her father might be going a little overboard on the protection but couldn't disagree with him. She couldn't exactly remember what had caused this body to die allowing her to be able to transmog into it. Even looking over her body intently she could see no scars that could offer any clues on how she had died.

"Zumi" her father said as he silently opened the door to her rather s.p.a.cious underground room. He only visited her at night when he was supposedly busy with his wife. "I have news from the palace."

Mai perked up at the little pieces of information she had been able to gather about what the situation was on the outside from her father.

"Those two are rather smart" Qin Junjie sighed. "Han Bing was summoned to the palace today."

Mai sucked in a breath as she let that small detail hit her instantly frightened for Han Bings future. "That doesn't exactly sound smart father" Mai whispered in fear.

"Haha, that part is not them being smart the next part is. Zheng Li told the messenger that Han Bing was stuck in bed with a high fever that had yet to break." Qin Junjie replied with a grin on his face.

"The Emperor surely didn't believe that did he?" Mai asked in speculation. If the Emperor had actually let that excuse stop his plans than she wasn't sure who had taken over the position of Emperor. However, it wasn't who she remembered.

"Of course not. He was beyond p.i.s.sed off at the implication. So he sent a court physician to check on Han Bing" Qin Junjie said while still grinning. "Now I'm not sure how exactly they pulled it off but the physician came back a hour later saying the exact same thing that the messenger said, but with a lot more medical terminology. Therefore, no one really questioned it any longer."

"I mean not going to the palace is a good thing, but why exactly is it so smart?" Mai asked herself.

"Because, the Emperor has no interest in a weak hunt and he will focus his shift on you. Giving them the time they need to make it out of that cursed manor." Qin Junjie relied.

Mai blushed as she released that she had spoken her question out loud when she was thinking.

"However, this also makes it more challenging to keep you a secret even if it is only two more days" Qin Junjie said while hugging his daughter close to him. "Don't trust anyone Zumi, the hunt is now on and you have been avoiding detection for now." Qin Junjie said with fear in his voice.

They talked longer about random events before Qin Junjie had to leave to prepare for the next day.

Mai sat in thought, trying to figure out how exactly they were all going to escape untouched. She had absolute faith in what ever Zheng Li's plan was. "I wonder if Han Bing knows about this whole big escape plan of Zheng Li's. He seemed pretty determined for me to leave him" Mai thought to herself in annoyance. "Doesn't he know that I don't want to leave him. How could he just push me away like that." But Mai knew why, his body language had said it all, he only wanted to protect her. "I can't even be mad at you Han Bing" Mai cursed under her breath. "Please don't turn back into a ice cube though, I don't think I'd be able to not see your smiling face the next time I see you" Mai thought to herself.

Mai hoped that what her father said was true and that they were only fooling the Emperor. She really didn't want Han Bing to actually have another fever from his never ending list of wounds that were on his body. "I hope that I get to see you again" Mai sighed as she looked upwards pretending to see the stars glitter in the sky. Clutching her legs in worry about what the future would hold.

Mai had exhausted herself with her own thought to the point that she was about to pa.s.s out when she felt a shiver run up her spine. Mai decided to just go with her feelings on this one and silently slid out of bed. She carefully hid all of the items in the room that might point to it being occupied. Feeling that she might be making a fool of herself Mai let out a sigh until she heard footsteps coming towards the room.

Mai heard a slightly jarring sound from the door. "That is not my father" Mai thought in fright as she went to hide behind one of the walls that slanted outwards. Inside was a tiny area that one could hid in that was almost unnoticeable to those that didn't know to look for it. It was hidden from the view of the door so Mai couldn't see who had come barging into her room in the middle of the night.

The door kept shuddering as a light click was heard. Mai watch in fear as 5 guard looking men walked into the room and searched around looking for something. Mai held her breath as one walked precariously close to her position.

"She is not in here, as I was telling you before none of us have seen her at all. None of us ever saw the carriage arrive. Are you sure it wasn't a ruse?" One of the big men who was dressed slightly differently said in a bored voice. "You might have all night to run into rooms however you please, but I don't share that luxury and need to be up at dawn for drill tomorrow." He all but practically snarled out in displeasure.

The other men did another walk around the room, nodded to each other and left. Leaving the man who had snarled at them to clean up the room.

"Just leave" Mai thought to herself. The man was getting close to finding out that the room wasn't as empty as it seemed.

"I know you are there Zumi" the man said softly as he looked directly in Mai's direction. "Why do you think I gave you so much time to hide with the lock?"