Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

"Sister in law!" Guan Tian Long couldn't believe what he just heard,

This pretty little girl is the one whom his brother loves? He glanced to his side and found a rapturous glee on his Lee Tae Yang's proud face. He rubbed his palm on his shirt and reached for a handshake, "Nice to meet you," His eyes beamed as he pressed Li Juan's slender palm with at most respect and tilted his head over his cousin with a grumpy look on his face,

Since they grew up together like real siblings, neither Guan Tian Long nor Lee Tae Yang kept any secrets from each other until now. How can he bring a girl all of sudden and introduce her as his girlfriend- Nah, sister in law..he called her sister-in-law,

"You should have told me earlier," 

"I want to give you a surprise," Lee Tae Yang shrugged his shoulders and slid over to Li Juan who remained perplexed.

"It is totally unexpected, why are you guys here? Did you guys came directly to meet me or-" Guan Tian Long narrowed his hawk-like eyes,

"We are on a date…" Lee Tae Yang said while trying to hide his blushing face, his voice dripping with honey, "Xiao Li wants to go for a hike, so...I was thinking about taking her to the cliff,"

While they were talking, a high-end military car passed them, all of sudden Guan Tian Long and Lee Tae Yang stood in attention to pay respects,

However, before getting inside the base, the car abruptly stopped, the window glass rolled down,

Lee Tae Yang clenched his jaws and said robotically,

"Xiao Li, give me a minute," He strode towards the car in steady steps, almost similar to a marching soldier and bent down to talk to the person inside the car.

"Who is that?" Li Juan asked,

"Our uncle," Guan Tian Long replied with a smirk, "Who is apparently his professor too,"

"Isn't he is from K country? Li Juan was bewildered for a moment, "Will they allow a foreigner to study in military institutions?"

"He is an exceptional case,"

Li Juan stared at him curiously, the military actually made exceptions for a foreigner and let him study under their university? Woah that says a lot about his capabilities.

"His mother is from a family of military officials, so we can make amendments though," Guan Tian said without getting into details. However, Li Juan who was curious about Tae Yang kept him busy with her questions.

"He looks like a proper soldier, did he work in the military before becoming a doctor?"

"Ah," Guan Tian Long scratched his chin before explaining, "It is because we grew up in a military family. Unlike other kids, we were thrown into military camps at a young age. Even though he lived in soul city, grandpa didn't let him go off the hooks of mandatory disciplinary training. When Tae Yang refused to join the military by quoting that he wants to pursue a career in the medical field, grandpa dragged him here and made him attend the army medical university,"

"Then why did he move to the first hospital?"

"Somehow his classmates got to know that he is general Guan's grandson and started to see him differently," Guan Tian Long casually said,

"Your grandfather is a general?" Her eyes widened in surprise. Though she didn't know much about the ranking system in the military, she was aware of the fact that a general is someone who holds a high position.

"Yes, but please don't ask anything about this to Tae Yang unless he is willing to say about his family," Guan Tian Long made a request, "He loves to stay low-profile,"

"However with his skills and capabilities, people treat him like a celebrity wherever he goes," Li Juan shrugged and crossed her arms across chest,

"Ahh I forgot to ask, how did you guys meet? You are too young to be his colleague or junior," He scanned her with a sense of dubiety,

"I was his patient…She said casually, "Actually I was his professor's patient,"

"You guys fell in love while in the hospital?" Guan Tian Long gawked at her in disbelief.

"I fell for him," Li Juan confessed with an air of aloofness, but her eyes appeared resolute,

"And he said yes?"

"I haven't asked him yet,"

"But...you guys were..." Guan Tian Long gulped and shook off the memory of almost kiss scene he witnessed a few moments ago.

"Phew…He asked me to join for a lunch…," Lee Tae Yang walked towards them with a relaxed face, "I seriously don't remember how did I refuse him…If uncle Gu says something to grandpa, don't mess up and cover for me," He ordered Guan Tian Long who was still in a daze. 

"Why should I?" He woke up from his daze and retaliated with a sneer, "Let him know the secrets of his beloved grandson,"

"Well, I am not the only one who has secrets," Lee Tae Yang refuted back,

"Are you threatening me?" Guan Tian Long glared,

"If you feel threatened then...it is true that you have secrets," He scoffed and moved towards Li Juan, however, Guan Tian Long pushed his cousin away from her and leaned closer,

"Xiao Li, I am warning you, don't fall for his good looks and warm personality…he is the worst bully you will ever meet, don't get into his wrong side...he is a devil in disguise," Guan Tian Long warned Li Juan, to which she smiled in agreement,

Since Guan Tian Long came from the middle of his practice session, he bid adieu to the couple after fifteen minutes.

Once they left the naval base, Lee Tae Yang drove his car to the east sea beach.

On the way to the beach, they had lunch from the place which is recommended by Guan Tian Long and after resting for some time, they started to climb the cliff

The way towards the cliff was filled with green grasses and short shrub-like plants. The moment Li Juan got down from the car, she started to jolt across the place like a playful bunny,

Since she was bed-ridden for almost three months, Lee Tae Yang didn't try to stop her. He let her wander around and picked up his camera to capture Li Juan's photographs.

He wished to capture those beautiful memories and add to his album. However, Li Juan was wobbling here and there like a fluttering butterfly,

"Don't run…you will get tired easily," He reminded Li Juan who was climbing the steep end of the cliff,

"You will carry me Nah?" Li Juan turned around and giggled,

"Xiao Li, you are going to fall-" Even before he could finish warning, Li Juan tumbled on a stone and fell on to the ground,

"Xiao Li!!!!" Lee Tae Yang rushed towards her without any delay,

"Xiao Li, what happened? Wake up," He frantically shook the shoulders of the girl who remained unconscious, "Xiao Li, can you hear me," He tried to feel her pulse on the neck.

The moment he touched her sweaty neck, Li Juan opened her eyes with a giggle, "You are tickling me,"

He stared at her giggling face with a mortified expression, she was pulling a trick on him. In a moment, he felt like his world has collapsed.

When Li Juan's gaze fell on Lee Tae Yang's panicked face, she stopped laughing and raised from the ground, "Did I scare you?"

He appeared aghast as if he saw death in front of his eyes,

"Say something," she caressed his cheeks,

Lee Tae Yang peeled her hands off from him with a sulky face,

"Dr Lee, I am sorry," she captured his sleeves and apologized, however, he ignored her and tried to stand up,

"Do you know I have seen you in my dreams," Li Juan suddenly pointed out as a last resort to coax him,

"You were dressed up as a warrior prince and you looked really handsome in traditional clothes. He wasn't anything like the real you. He is really playful and often fights with me… I just wanted to," She bit her lips and bowed her head in apology, "I am sorry,"

"So what else we did in your dreams?" He asked in a softened tone as he kneeled beside her with a faint smile,

"Ah.. we did so many things... but most of the times we were just arguing with each other. But I think I really liked you... we even kissed in my dreams, like..." Li Juan leaned closer to him, however, when their lips were about to touch, Lee Tae Yang tapped his finger on her forehead and pushed her back onto the ground, 

"This is your punishment," He stood up and walked ahead,

"Ah, where are you going?" Li Juan called out for her man who was leaving, "Yangyang, take me too,"

When Lee Tae Yang heard her calling him "Yangyang" he stopped in his tracks with a perplexed smile,

She called him by his pet name...which existed only in his memory,

It was the name which his mother used to call him,

While Lee Tae Yang was lost in memories, a frail body wrapped him in a gentle embrace, resting her head on his broad back,

"Don't leave me," Li Juan's gentle plea rang in his ears, 

"I was sacred at that night... All I could hear was screams and clanking sounds of metals...It was too loud and suffocating...I thought I was going to die alone, but your voice woke me up...pulled me back to life...you saved me...I shouldn't have done that stupid act...I am really sorry," Her voice trembled as she tried to remember the moments she spent on the brink of death,

"It is alright," Lee Tae Yang released her hands from his waist and turned to face her. Li Juan's eyes appeared moist and she was about to cry.

"Do you want to see the ocean from the cliff,"

Li Juan wiped her eyes and nodded in agreement and walked with to the tip of the cliff. The vast blue ocean roared at the foot of the cliff, 

"I wish time could move slower," Lee Tae Yang swept a glance at the evening sky, "So that I can be with you,"

Li Juan raised her gaze at the man who stood before her with a sunny smile as she felt the tightened grip over her palm,

"It is dangerous here, can we move somewhere safe?"

"Yes,"

He wrapped his arm over her shoulder and carefully led her to flat ground, away from the steep ends of the cliff, as if he is holding the most precious jewel in his hands,

"Xiao Li, can I kiss you?" As soon as they moved to safer ground, Lee Tae Yang asked her with anticipated eyes,

Li Juan stared back at him as if she heard something unexpected,

"Only if you are okay with it," He faintly smiled, "I don't want to force you,"

Li Juan's lips perched up into a beguiling smile and took a step towards him, gently closing her eyes, letting him know that she is willing to share a kiss with him,

Lee Tae Yang moved closer to her and tilted his head to place a gentle peck on her soft cheeks, 

"Hmm, done," He took a step back from her and informed with a satisfactory tone.

Li Juan opened her eyes with a sunken expression,

"What happened?"

"You don't like me?" She touched her cheek where he kissed and asked in a low voice,

"Huh?" Lee Tae Yang was taken aback by her question. Though she has turned eighteen and in his eyes, she is still a kid and he wished to take things slowly and develop their relationship without forcing her into skinship,

"No...I mean I like you, but- Xiao Li, why are you crying?"

"Nothing," Li Juan wiped her tears and turned back to walk away,

"Xiao Li, wait," He touched her shoulders and turned her to face him,

He gently grabbed hold of her chin and raised her face, 

Her big black eyes were brimming with tears,

Did he make a mistake? 

Lee Tae Yang waited for a moment, before slowly inclining towards her, closing the space between them and pressed his lips on to her plump red lips, 

As a reflex, she closed her eyelids and a teardrop rolled down her cheeks,

"What I want to say is that...I don't like you...but love you... I love you so much...," He swept her off the ground and lifted her fragile frame in his arms, "Do you love-"

Before he could say something, Li Juan captured his lips and wrapped her arms over his neck,

"I Love you, Yang yang"

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

"Your cousin said that you refused to join the military and Yan gege said that your family is well off, then why did you choose to become a doctor?" Li Juan leaned on the dashboard of the car and faced Lee Tae Yang who was driving back to Li Juan's house.

"When I was a child, I used to get nightmares in which a woman dies in my arms...she bled to death and I couldn't do anything to save her." He replied with an expressionless face,

"People will think that I am insane to choose to become a doctor because of something trivial like this...But I was terrified by that scene,"

Hearing his reply, Li Juan was lost in thoughts for a moment, "Do you remember that woman in your dreams?"

"I don't remember her face or anything...she asked to save someone,"

"I had a similar dream like this, a queen asked me to save someone," Li Juan bit her nails,

"Oh really?" His eyebrows raised in surprise,

"Yangyang, is it possible that two different people have the same dream?"

"Actually people do have similar kinds of dreams, like chasing dreams, murders. These are common dreams,"

"When I get back home, I am going to study more about dreams," She said with a determined face, "I want to know what is the meaning behind that dream,"

"Talking about your studies, which university are you planning to join?" He inquired her,

"Dr Lee, I still haven't taken my high school graduation exams," She scoffed, 

"With your abilities, high schools exams are too easy to crack... I am damn sure that you will be the topper," Lee Tae Yang stated with a proud face.

"I don't want to be a topper," Her answer was simple, "I will be grateful if I get enough marks to get into a university," 

"Still, do you have any place in your mind?" 

"I heard that the archaeological department at Jing university is good...but I don't want to go there," She pursed her lips and her face had a shade of dubiety and hesitation.

"If I go there, Mama will be left alone...if we move to Jing city it will be more difficult for her. Maybe because she was born here, she doesn't like Jing city and you won't be there too," 

"You have included me as well," Lee Tae Yang gave her a pleasant smile,

"I don't have many people to call my own. So I want to cherish whomever I have and wish to live for them...with them," 

"Actually you don't have to bother about me," He suddenly said, "I mean it is your life and if you want to study at Jing university, go for it...It only takes less than two hours from Soul city to Jing city by flight, we can meet whenever you want," He proposed,

"It is an international flight you are talking about," She tried to remind him.

"Then do you want me to shift to Jing city with you as well?" Lee Tae Yang asked casually,

"Dr Lee, aren't you going a little bit overboard with your words? What about your family? What about your filial duties?"

"You worry too much," Lee Tae Yang pulled her cheeks with a doting smile, "I can take care of all those things, you just have to study well, pursue your dreams and live happily,"