Her Captain, The Gamemaster

Lioness

I stare at the stupid message he sent from my phone and scoff, turning away.

'You didn't say no,' he teases.

'Kid, go home. I'll pay you back another day. I'm busy today,'

Not really but he doesn't have to know.

'Ah yesss,' he pumps his fists and I roll my eyes.

I watch the idiot run back to the gate, exiting back onto the main street. 

Can't believe I just dragged some random idiot onto the property.

I walk back home through the north-east track, skipping along to the beats of an imaginary song, admiring the beautiful lake peaking from behind a row of trees, glistening in the sunlight.

About 3 quarters of my way home, I spot a car in the distance. I recognized it as one of the taxi drivers who work in the city. Maybe it's Uncle Lai? I couldn't read the plate from here so I quickly run up to the main gates of my estate but by the time I get there, the car had left. Actually, two cars had left.

I stare at the two cabs, reminding myself to visit the residents of the Xinjong Apartments next week for Ah Xi's 6 month birthday. 

Note to self: buy the cute lollipop plushies for them. Also, Auntie Cai has been looking at the weird mop she saw on Weibo.

I stroll back through the gate to the estate, making my way up to the house. I pull out my jingling keys and pushed open the door. I'm still humming when I meet the eyes of my best friend for life.

Soo-ah.

Dropping my snacks onto the floor, I run slowly up to her and she stretched out her arms for me. I embrace her hug, smiling at the warmth.

'Soo-ahhhh,' I laugh out when she squeezed me.

'I missed youuu,' she whines.

'I saw you like less than 2 days ago,'

'I don't care,' she continues.

She lets me go and I give her a small smile as I think back to my silent personality when I first met her. We share a look as she read my mind.

'Was Uncle Qi here just now?' I turn to my snacks, picking them up.

'Um, yes he was,' Grandma says. I pick up a lie and I get a slight chill as my mind floated back to those thoughts of my broken family and how hard Grandma had to work to keep me happy.

'What did he want?' I ask, casually.

'The herbal jelly powder from South Mongolia. That one town on the border,' she replied.

'Anything else?

'Nope,' she says.

I sigh, not pushing anymore. I'll find out later.

'What did you buy, Ah Li?' she asks me, dragging me to the dinner table, where food awaited me.

'Snacks,' I reply, blowing softly on the hot food.

'What do you think of the new road?'

'Not bad. It might get really dark at night or in the winter though,'

'I was planning on installing some streetlights,' she comments.

There was a comfortable silence as I continued eating my very late breakfast. It was almost dinner time.

'What do you girls want for dinner? I've defrosted some shrimp so we can make some wontons or something,'

Soo-ah turns to me, grinning.

'What do you think, Li-ah?' she asks.

'Sounds perfect,' I reply, smiling.

Shrimp wontons was one of our favourite recipes and a family tradition. I've been making it since I was 18 months old.

'Just don't make them so ugly this time,' I tease Soo-ah.

She blushes and starts to stutter again.

'T-that was one time!' she starts shouting. 'It was an accident!'

'I honestly can't believe that. How can you accidentally wrap 4 of the peels on top of each other?' I laugh, enjoying the comforts of home.

Grandma laughs as well as she started taking out the ingredients for the wontons. I put away my dishes, rinsing them quickly and stacking them away in a rack before racing to get to the table where Soo-ah set up the supplies.

'Calm down, stupid girl. You're gonna fall,' my Grandma scolds me in her English.

I grin sheepishly as I crack two eggs carefully before beating them with some butter, flour and salt. Soo-ah mushed up the raw shrimps and grandma chops the scallions. It took less than 2 minutes for us to prepare the ingredients.

I start by taking a piece pre-rolled dough and spooning a small chunk of the shrimp mix onto it. Then I fold it and pinch the corners together.

Each family has their own recipes and folding techniques. Some families make theirs to represent flowers or birds or other cool designs such as pouches or gold ingots, maybe even just classic waves. My family is a little different though.

People ask us a lot why we would choose such a design. Answer is why not?

My family chose the leader of the cats, the lion. King of the jungle and a special animal that represents my families history. Everyone in my family is fierce, ambitious and clever. The animal because of family symbol for 500 years since the creation of the original Foo Dog, my great-ancestors dearest project.

Guardian Lion.

It's all about traditions, logic, ferocity, power and ambitions. 

After all, my family isn't the most powerful bloodline in the world for nothing.

I smirk as I pinch another lion together, it's mane coated in flour. We chat for half an hour until we ran out of the wonton skins. I look around at our kitchen which was filled with trays and trays of lions.

I smile as I balance two trays on my arms, taking it to the large boiling pot where we'll cook them using our traditional spring onion soup but Grandma stops me. 'I'll handle it from here. You go shower. You stink,' 

I tried to insist but she pushed me out of the kitchen, Soo-ah following me. I walk through the halls leading to the grand staircase that would lead me upstairs. (where else would it lead to-)

My eyes lit up as an idea formed in my head. I pull my typical resting-bitch face and turn to Soo-ah who looked at me confused.

'You're home. What are you-'

 I telepathically cut her off with my verbal words. 'Soo-ah,'

'Yes?' she looks at me strangely.

I sigh dramatically looking away.

'Is something wrong, Li?'

'No...just...,'

Another exaggerated sigh.

'Do you want to race?' I ask, my face still sad.

'Li, I would literally do anything for you- wait what?' she cuts herself off.

A shit-eating grin made its way onto my face as I push her lightly back a couple steps and start running up the stairs, my silent laugh ringing through the tall room.

'HEY,' she yells as she finally caught on.

This is home.

Author's Note:

they reunite ayyy

someone asked me if i was talking about mushu i-

thxx.