The Moon is Made of Eggs (ChinaxReader)

Glancing back down at your grocery list, you murmured the remaining ingredients to yourself. "Milk powder and unsalted butter." You wondered why you couldn't find the two odd ingredients while you searched for them.

You were so caught up in your search that when you found the milk powder you reached for it without hesitation. A hand collided with yours, but you stubbornly clung to the can.

"I'm very sorry, you said, "but I need this to make-"

The man who also reached for it flinched away, but grabbed the can as well, "I need this to make-"

"Mooncakes!" you both shouted, turning to face each other. He had a look of shock on his face and your lips pressed together in a firm line as each of you quietly observed the other. The man struggling with you for the can of milk powder was Asian in descent, with long brown hair pulled into a loose ponytail and deep, chocolate-colored eyes. After a second, the two of you started laughing.

A grin so large it made your face hurt beamed up at the taller man and you apologized, releasing the can. "I'm sorry, go ahead and take it. I just wanted to try a recipe I found."

He pushed the can in your direction, "Well then you should have it, I've made them before."

After a moment of attempting to get the other person to take the can, you both started laughing again. "Isn't this strange?" you asked the man, a giggle in your voice.

"We'll make it stranger, then!" he laughed, forcing you to hold the can for a moment as he pulled a pen from his pocket. Placing the can in your basket, the man took your previously occupied hand and scribbled some numbers and words on it. When he pulled away, you stared down at the blue writing on your hand.

Noticing your confused look, he grinned at you, "That's my address and phone number, why don't you come over tonight and I can help with your recipe?"

You held out your hand without the writing and shook his. "Sounds like a deal! I'm (F/n) (L/n)."

"Yao Wang."

Your (e/c) shut as you smiled at the man, "I'll see you tonight, Mr. Wang."

His hand slid out of yours and the two of you parted ways for the moment. "See you tonight, Ms. (L/n)."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh my God, Yao! Your oven is trying to kill my mooncakes!"

Frantically, the man slid into the kitchen at the smell of burning eggs. "What are you doing in there?!"

You pulled the oven door open and waved your arms about, trying to see through the smoke. "I'm trying to make mooncakes, in case you didn't hear!"

Quickly, the Chinese man pulled out the cookie tray lined with only slightly-burnt pastries. He dropped them on the counter next to him and sighed before glaring over at you. The sight of his eyebrows furrowed and his lips pressed so tightly together, you couldn't help but laugh. You had collapsed on the floor when another, young-sounding voice entered.

"Big brother, what stinks?" the 10-year-old girl walked into the kitchen and looked curiously at the try on the counter, her solemn brother, and the strange (nationality) girl laughing on the ground.

Yao turned around, "Mei, go into the living room and get your siblings, (F/n) has to suffer for her mistakes."

You quickly sobered up, curious what Yao meant when he said 'suffer'. A moment later, Mei came back into the kitchen, three younger brothers and older sister following behind her. The eldest, a young girl named Lien, was about 12, had a single eyebrow raised as she looked at her older brother. "What did you do now?" she asked him.

A hurt look crossed his face. "I did nothing! It was all (F/n)'s fault!"

"Blaming our guest is, like, totally uncalled for." the second youngest at 7, a bushy-browed boy name Leon muttered in your defense. You smiled at him.

The 9-year-old, Yong Soo, scrunched up his small nose, "What stinks?"

Another fit of giggles burst from your lungs as Yao slid onto the floor next to you, defeated.

The youngest child, Kiku, looked around the kitchen, his calculating brown eyes landing on the slightly burnt mooncakes. "It would appear that (F/n)-sama cooked the mooncakes for a bit too long," he said, his voice even.

Leon grabbed on of the pastries from their platter and took a large bite out of one. He sniffed, "It's not that bad," he murmured, taking another chomp of the cake.

Barely choking back your laughter, you hugged the small boy close to your chest as he calmly ate the mooncake.

"He's my new favorite," you said, sticking your tongue out at the crumpled form of Yao.

Mei's chocolate eyes watered, "But, what about me?"

Her pitiful expression brought tears to your eyes, "You're my favorite too, OK?"

"OK," she sniffled, wiping away her tears.

The rest of the siblings looked on with little interest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Once upon a time, there was a hero named Houyi," the young girl paused, "or was it just Yi?"

Leon groaned, "Get on with it, Mei!"

She flinched, then continued with her telling of the story, "Anyways, one day ten suns rose in the sky, causing a great disaster to befall the people of his country. So, to save his people, he took his bow and shot down nine of the suns, leaving only one to provide light for the people. Since he was such a great hero, an immortal gave him a potion to make him immortal, too. But he loved his wife, Chang'e, so much he couldn't drink it and be immortal without her, so he gave the potion to his wife for safe keeping."

Yong Soo interrupted her, "But an evil man knew their secret and, when Yi was out hunting, he tried to take the potion from Chang'e."

"But!" Lien grinned, "Chang'e took it instead. Since she wanted to stay close to the man she loved so dearly, she chose the moon as her place of residence."

Mei tried to take over on the storytelling again, "When Yi came home and learned about the tragedy that befell his wife, he lied her favorite fruits and cakes out in the yard for her to see."

Yao came in, carrying a tray of mooncakes to the back porch where you and the children were sitting, "And when the people learned of Yi's sadness, they too sacrificed the foods in the name of the wife he loved so much."

"That's a very nice story," you smiled, slowly getting to your feet to take the tray from Yao. You distributed the fresh, not-burnt, cakes to the children and the seven of you stepped out from under the porch and onto the damp grass of their yard. Sitting in the dark, you sat in silence until the children dropped into sleep one by one, leaving only you and Yao awake. Gently, he rested his hand on yours as the two of you gazed up at the full moon.

Your (e/c) eyes softened, "She must have been very sad," you muttered, pulling your gaze away from the white circle hanging in the sky.

"I don't think so," your Chinese companion whispered, "I think she was very brave." Now he looked to you, "And very in love."

As your eyes closed and you drifted into sleep, one final thought passed through your head, 'Not as in love as me.'