Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

For the next two days, Han Guang and his team practically lived in the research lab to finish the work related to the expedition.

"Senior Cheng, will we be able to finish this by tomorrow morning?" Li Juan looked at the number of files and paperwork lying on her desk.

"Lily, I am hungry, and my brain is not working. Don't irritate me now," Cheng Tao warned her as he pulled his hair in frustration while staring at the error message that popped up on his laptop screen,

"I bought some instant noodles and crackers from the mart," Han Guang informed without averting his gaze from the monitor. 

As soon as Cheng Tao heard about the food, his weariness vanished in a puff and excitedly jolted up from his seat.

"Where is Tae Min?" Han Guang asked when he found that his youngest intern in the team was nowhere to see,

"He went to get coffee," Li Juan added as she followed Cheng Tao, who was hopping around in the thought of food, like a happy bunny. 

"Ah, okay, I will also come with you," Han Guang put his laptop on sleep mode and rose from his seat while rubbing his lenses with the end of his shirt. 

"No, professor, we will do it," Li Juan declined the man who appeared tired to death. Unlike his scholars, Han Guang, who got a busy schedule for the next few days, had more work to finish. 

"Please take a break," She suggested and went to the kitchen area in the research department along with a wide-awake Cheng Tao. 

The common kitchen was considered a boon for the researchers who never get enough time to visit the cafeteria for a meal.

The facility for food storage and cooking in the department building helped them fix a quick meal to save time.

As they walked into the empty kitchen area, Cheng Tao abruptly halted his strides and looked around,

"Seems like someone is here," He stated as he hid behind the wall and listened to the voice arising from the kitchen,

"No matter how busy you are, you need to eat," A gentle reprimand reached their ears,

"Aye, Senior Cheng, don't be like this," Li Juan scolded Cheng Tao, who is eavesdropping on the conversation with no shame, 

"Who else comes to our refreshment room? It must be Tae Min." 

"I know it is Tae Min, but he is talking...sweetly," Cheng Tao, who got dumbfounded by the change in Lee Tae Min's tone, pointed out with a wicked smile, 

"I am 100 per cent sure that it's his girlfriend,"

"How can you be so sure that he is talking to his girlfriend when he is speaking in the K language?" Li Juan rebutted Cheng Tao's accusation without any second thoughts,

"Just listen to his tone, you stupid. Have you ever heard him talking like this? Shut up and listen to him," Cheng Tao snapped back as he concentrated on the conversation in a language that is alien to him. 

"Well, that is true," Li Juan had no other option but to agree with her senior. She never heard Lee Tae Min talking gently to anyone, as he always appeared cold and distant with an obvious exception of his Juan Noona. 

"Are you sure you don't want to visit our lab? Allow me to introduce my professors and seniors, especially my dear Juan Noona, to you," Lee Tae Min dotingly said, oblivious to the nosy Parker's in the room.

"He is saying something about you," Cheng Tao pointed his fingers at Li Juan and commented.

However, she just ignored him and walked into the kitchen, but quietly.

"You are jealous. Noona loves me more than you. Okay, okay. Eat something before you sleep, okay? Saranghae, Bugoshipo," Lee Tae Min ended the phone call with a wide grin flashing on his face and turned back only to run into Li Juan and Cheng Tao, who were already in the room. 

"Noona! Why...why are you here?" Lee Tae Min tried to sound less startled as he suspected that they might have overheard him,

"We came to make some noodles," Li Juan casually walked to the kitchen counter and took the packets of instant noodles from the shelves, 

"Oh, I made coffee," Lee Tae Min replied and picked the filled up mugs from the coffeemaker to place them on a tray.

"Gumawo," Li Juan thanked indifferently and busied herself in the making of instant noodles,

While the savoury smell of noodles began to fill the room, Cheng Tao cleared his throat to gather attention, 

"Ahem, lily, do you know the meaning of saranghae and bugoshipo?" Cheng Tao asked innocently like an ignorant five-year-old,

"Yes, they heard it!!!" Lee Tae Min shut his eyes in embarrassment and cursed himself,

"Huh? It is I love you and miss you," Li Juan explained plainly, trying hard not to blow their dumb and dumber act,

"Senior Cheng, It is something you say to your loved ones," She added, 

"Loved ones? Lover? Cheng Tao acted dumb as he spoke with a clear intention to tease his junior, "Ah, girlfriend?"

"Does that mean somebody got a girlfriend?" Li Juan crossed her arms over her chest and peeked at the man whom they just caught red-handed,

"Noona, It was my brother," Lee Tae Min confessed before his seniors fabricate some more meaningless accusations.

"Brother!!!!! ah, lily, it was his brother," Cheng Tao acted as if he believed his junior's claims and feigned credulity,

"Yes, my brother," Lee Tae Min repeated in a steely voice,

"Well, indeed, we don't speak your language, but we are knowledgeable enough to know what is meant by 'miss you and love you' That too with an aegyo!" Cheng Tao rebutted as he placed his palms over his cheeks and grinned like a Cheshire cat. 

"Be honest, Tae Minah. You have a girlfriend, don't you?" He began to interrogate the man who refused to concede. 

"I am telling the truth, Senior Cheng. It was my brother." Lee Tae Min tried to convince them, only to trigger Cheng Tao's hidden investigative traits.

"Give me your phone. Let me check," Cheng Tao demanded something that put his junior in a terrible spot.

A flustered second master Lee right away tried to hide his mobile phone from these nosy seniors.

But unfortunately, he failed terribly when Li Juan swiftly snatched his phone. 

"If it is your brother, then why are you panicking? Look, there is no lock either that means you do not have anything to hide."

Li Juan tried to reason as she unlocked the phone to examine the caller list.

"Who is Sunny?" She read out the last number in the call list aloud. 

"That is my brother." Lee Tae Min admitted without putting up any protests. 

"Why your brother name is Sunny? If my memory is correct, your brother's name is something 'Tae', isn't it?" Cheng Tao tried hard to remember, and in a glimpse, he blurted out the very next thing that came to his mind,

"Lily, check his we chat, I am damn sure that it is a girl, we must find out whether it is sunny or Sun-hee, quick quick." He urged Li Juan along with Lee Tae Min to pull out their inner Ninja skills to snatch the phone from each other's hold, 

"Noona, give me the phone." Lee Tae Min almost lost his patience as he snapped back at Li Juan, who kept blocking his hands from reaching out for his phone. 

"You caught red-handed ice-cold prince." Cheng Tao jumped in between them, keeping Li Juan away from Lee Tae Min as he tried to save her enough time to go through his phone records, 

"I can't wait to see the faces of those heartbroken fangirls who are chasing around you."

Li Juan's fingers brushed over the "call" option, and instantly the call got connected. 

"Shush!!!!!" Cheng Tao placed his index finger on his lips and silenced his juniors, but went ahead to share his excitement,  "All of your secrets are going to burst-," 

"Minah," a deep masculine voice heard from the other side, interrupting Cheng Tao's words. 

"Hyung," Lee Tae Min answered right away and turned on the speaker mode,

"What happened? Is there anything wrong?" Though the man sounded nonchalant, anyone could figure out that he was a bit worried to receive a call in the middle of the night. 

"What is your name's meaning?" Lee Tae Min asked in C country's language, completely baffling the other person, 

"What?"

"Tell me the meaning," 

"Did you call me at midnight to ask this?" 

"Ah, tell me. There is someone who wants to know the meaning of your name." Lee Tae Min stated the purpose of his phone call while glancing at the duo listening to the conversation. 

"The Sun," his brother replied in C language.

"What is your name on my phone?"

"Are you crazy, Minah?" There was a moment of silence from the other side.

"Hyung!!!!" Lee Tae Min called his brother desperately, 

"It is Sunny."

"Heard it," Lee Tae Min looked at the Li Juan and Cheng Tao as if he won a war.

"Lee Tae Min, what is the matter?" His brother sounded anxious as he spoke. 

"Nothing Hyung, Just go to sleep." Lee Tae Min quickly tried to conclude the call

"Good night, Hyung, Saranghae," He purposefully added a "love you" to his conversation to receive a low chuckle from the other end of the call. 

"Minah, get yourself a girlfriend, or else people are going to misunderstand your words." His brother jokingly reminded, 

"Ah, wae am I not allowed to say, a simple love you to my dear Hyung?" Lee Tae Min made a fuss and acted like a child whose chocolates were taken away by his parents. 

"Aigoo, my Minmin, Hyung loves you too." His brother played along and ended their conversation on a good note. 

Lee Tae Min haughtily peered at Li Juan and Cheng Tao, who appeared dispirited.

"Fine now?" 

"Since you were talking sweetly on the phone, I thought it was-" Cheng Tao was about to apologize. However, he abruptly paused and looked at Lee Tae Min with a perplexed face. "Wait a minute; perhaps....it is your boyfriend?" 

"Senior Cheng!!!!" Li Juan snarled and hit him with the lid of the pan when she heard him.

"Ah, Lily!!!! It is common nowadays. I don't mind him having a boyfriend rather than a girlfriend." Cheng Tao pressed his arms and tried to validate his point.

However, Lee Tae Min's smugness vanished as soon as he heard Cheng Tao's comments. It was evident that he got hurt by the remarks.

Li Juan, who immediately caught the gloomy look on his handsome face, reached out to console him.

"Hey, don't mind him. You know how bad is his jokes, don't you?" She asked softly and threw a burning glance at Cheng Tao, who was still grinning like a buffoon.

"Everyone says like that." Lee Tae Min admitted with a pair of downcasted eyes.

"Many women want to be my brother's girlfriend, but he never pays attention to any of them. So there is a rumour going around that he is into men."

"I'm damn sure that the person who started the rumour must have listened to your brother's phone calls." Cheng Tao passed a quick comment. 

"I would have done the same if I hear someone saying I love you, and I miss you over the phone." 

"Senior Cheng!!!!" Li Juan rolled her eyes and warned him not to spout any nonsense.

"I don't understand how could they create such rumours about my brother, who never takes any initiative in getting close to others. They even call him -the infamous ruthless dark emperor of Lee corporations." Lee Tae Min twitched his mouth as he complained.

"So are you saying that his personality is colder than yours?" Cheng Tao asked innocently with a pair of curious eyes.

"Hmm. If you call me an ice-cold prince, then let me say that my brother will be the emperor of a kingdom filled with people like me. He is like an ancient glacier. No emotions, no feelings. Just a living statue." Lee Tae Min sighed and glanced at Li Juan, who was keenly listening to him.

"My family is looking for a girl who can bring some changes in his personality." He added with a bitter smile, "But I'm sure that Hyung is going to reject them all,"

"Why?"

"There aren't any girls who befit his concept of a partner."

"What is his concept?" Li Juan unknowingly sounded curious to learn more.

"Uffoo Lily, stop being nosy!" Cheng Tao interrupted in a chiding tone."Why do you want to know? Are you interested in his brother now? I didn't know that you-" 

"SMACK!!!" 

Even before he could say more, the steel lid of the cooking pot hit on Cheng Tao's shoulder.

"Ya, stop hitting me !!!!" Cheng Tao yelled in pain.

"Noona," Lee Tae Min grabbed Li Juan's arms and stopped her from beating their senior once again.

"He asked for it!!!" Li Juan snarled as she tried to get herself loose from Lee Tae Min's hold.

"But Noona, you are somewhat similar to my brother's type." Lee Tae Min dropped a truth bomb out of nowhere, leaving Li Juan dumbfounded. "Do you want me to introduce you to him?"

"Lee Tae Min, what are you saying? She got a boyfriend." Cheng Tao was the one who replied to the question.

"When?" Li Juan and Lee Tae Min simultaneously asked in a surprised tone.

"Didn't you see yesterday? CEO Tang held her in arms and consoled." Cheng Tao tried to remind them.

"Uffo Senior Cheng. He is my friend's brother." Li Juan touched her forehead as she desperately tried to affirm her relation with Tang Wei Sheng.

"What about that ElleMguy?" Cheng Tao pointed out as if he is not ready to give up.

"Are you going to eat this, or should I pour it over your head?" Li Juan threatened him with an evil smile and grabbed the handle of the pot of instant noodles.

"This Ahjumma is scary, Tae Minah, save Oppa." Cheng Tao whined and hid behind Lee Tae Min, who stood between them like a tall mountain.

------------------------------------

Next day,

After pulling an all-nighter at the research lab with her teammates, Li Juan returned home in the afternoon.

Her tiny rental home was at the far end of a quiet downtown alley with small street vendors and restaurants. 

One of the restaurants in the alley belonged to Mei Rong, where Li Juan spends her free time helping her neighbour running the business.

Since she was exhausted from work, Li Juan went to Mei Rong's restaurant to eat her lunch instead of going home.

"You are early today!" Mei Rong, who was unexpectant of Li Juan's arrival, asked her in a bemused tone.

Li Juan always followed a 9-9 working schedule. She leaves home at 9 am and returns at 9 pm. So Mei Rong was indeed happy when the girl showed up at the doorstep in the afternoon.

"No, aunty. I just came after pulling an all-nighter." Li Juan Yawned and flexed her shoulders.

"Oh my God, no wonder you are becoming skinny day by day. You sit here. Let me take-" Mei Rong grabbed Li Juan's arms and almost dragged her to the nearest table.

"Jie!!!!!" 

Suddenly, a young man in his early twenties rushed out of the kitchen with a grinning face and hugged Li Juan with all his might.

"Chu, When did you arrive?" She asked in a soft voice as she wrapped her arms over him.

Qiao Chu, Mei Rong's son, was a university student and an emerging basket player who rarely came home due to his busy schedule.

"You've become taller," Li Juan dotingly ruffled his hair.

"And you lost a few pounds." Qiao Chu released Li Juan from his embrace and cupped her face with his palms.

"That's what I'm telling her every day. You should eat proper meals while you are young." Mei Rong meddled in between them. "Tell me what you want to eat?"

"Mom, I want a chicken soup and for Jie, give her fried chicken and rice, let's bulk her up." Qiao Chu cheerfully demanded as he clung to Li Juan's shoulder.

"No, aunty. I will also have chicken soup. I ate breakfast around 11." Li Juan immediately denied it.

"Look at the time now. It's 2 pm and by the way, who eats breakfast at 11? That's why you are getting skinny like a stick." Qiao Chu rolled his eyes as he made Li Juan sit on the chair.

"Yaa... who are you calling a stick?" Li Juan rebutted and pulled him towards her. 

"Who else is there? You are the stick."

As the duo started their usual bickering, Mei Rong left them alone and went to the kitchen.

"So, how is your practice going on? Is it tiring?" Li Juan inquired as she poured out a glass of water for him.

"We are having selection trials for the national team next week." Qiao Chu excitedly reported, "What about you, Jie? When are you going for site expedition?"

"We are planning the site expedition after the new year. However, I'm going for a site check next week." Li Juan informed her plans with a flashy grin on her face. In the morning, she finally decided to visit Xi city with Tang Wei Sheng and confirmed the schedule with Yang Xiong.

"Where are you going this time?"

"Xi city." Li Juan cheerfully replied. As a person who liked mountains and greenery, visiting Xi city, the northernmost prefecture filled with snowy mountain ranges, was one of her dreams.

"Finally, you are going to visit your dream place. You must give me a party," Qiao Chu playfully demanded.

"Look who is talking? You are the one who should give me a party." 

Li Juan giggled and pinched his cheeks. "I saw your girlfriend's performance on TV," 

"Jie!!!! Keep your voice low." Qiao Chu quickly warned her and peeked glances at the kitchen door in fear that his mother might overhear them.

Mei Rong was unaware that her son had fallen in love with his classmate, a national level champion in women's freestyle swimming. 

"I'm planning to tell mom about Yi Bao after my selections. Don't ruin my surprise."

As they talked about their university life, Mei Rong came with their meal- fried chicken, braised chicken, chicken fried rice, chicken soup- almost everything on the menu.

"Mom, I have to maintain my weight." Qiao Chu complained while looking at the portions of food served for him.

"Aye, you won't get fat in a day." Li Juan placed a chicken leg into his bowl with a doting smile. 

"This is not fair. If I go a little bit over preferred weight coach will put me in hell," Qiao Chu began to whine like a child, even though he was glad to eat the meal prepared by his mother.

"How long is your expedition?" Qiao Chu asked as he gobbled the food forgetting his diet for a moment.

"We don't have a clear schedule right now, but a minimum of three weeks."

"3 weeks!!!!" Mei Rong exclaimed and continued with her queries, "You are going to stay in the mountains for three weeks?"

"Yes, mom, she is going to sleep in the open forest where wild animals freely roam." Qiao Chu explained in an exaggerated tone only to tease his mother.

"Aye, don't believe him, aunty. There are too many settlements on the way. I won't be staying outdoors." Li Juan lied for the sake of Mei Rong as she feared that her aunt might get anxious if she knew the truth.

The lost city, their archaeological site, was located on the Northern side of the country, somewhere in the wilderness of the Tu mountains. 

"Do you know who our primary investor is?" Li Juan tried to change the topic.

"It is Tang corporations."

The moment Qiao Chu heard the name, his delighted face lost its colour. 

"Huh, when did Tang corps start to invest in archaeological researches?"

"Yeah. I was shocked to see senior Tang at the meeting. I couldn't even believe that he was interested in archaeology."

"Senior Tang!" Qiao chu's eyes narrowed upon hearing that name.

Even though they studied in different schools, he was familiar with Tang siblings, especially Tang Wei Sheng, who happened to be Li Juan's childhood crush.

"So he is coming with you?" Qiao Chu inquired monotonously.

"Yes, he is the one who wants to see the site."

Qiao Chu just gave his reply with an agreeing nod and lowered his eyes into his bowl, hiding his worried face from Li Juan.

Since both of their parents were friends, Li Juan and Qiao Chu grew up like siblings. Even though he loved his Jie and valued her decisions, he could not agree with Li Juan choosing the young master of the Tang family as her boyfriend.

He was aware of Li Juan's upbringing and her mother's struggle to raise a child without no one to help.

"It is better to leave Tang Wei Sheng and marry someone else." Qiao Chu always wanted to remind Li Juan. However, he feared that his words might break her heart, so he was hesitant to speak the truth.

He raised his gaze at Li Juan, who was brimming with joy while excitedly talking about her trip.

Her lively ink-black eyes sparkled as if they never went through despair.