Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

"Can I stay with you tonight?" a muffled request heard between the passionate kisses,

Taken aback by the words Lee Tae Yang slowly parted his lips and let go of the girl who was leaning on his broad chest, 

With a tinge of bemusement rippling in his deep dark eyes, he gently removed Li Juan's slender arms caressing the thick hair on the back of his head, 

"No," He smoothly rejected her with a devilish grin as if he foresaw the dangers which a rainy night would bestow upon them.

Li Juan was left dumbfounded for a moment.

He said no!!!! Her ink-black eyes widened,

For the first time, he declined her request,

"You cannot...you are not supposed to stay here...with me," Lee Tae Yang tried to explain with a straight face.

Li Juan couldn't believe what she heard now,

While she was hospitalized, even if he was tired to death, Lee Tae Yang always made sure to spend some time with her and what happened to that man?

Since they have dated for while, did he get tired of her?

"Xiao Li you are still a high school student and it is not nice to spend a night at a man's house," Lee Tae Yang elaborated as if he read her thoughts.

"It is not just a man," She retaliated in a flustered voice, "it's you....you are my boyfriend and what's wrong with staying with the man I love?"

"Don't argue, Xiao Li," His voice had an unnatural dominating air as he continued, "You cannot stay here,"

"Why?" Li Juan wobbled her head in disagreement and looked at him with pouted lips,

"There is only one-bedroom in this house," He stated,

"Such a big house and you are worried about a place for me to lie down? Li Juan snorted, "It is not that i need a king size all by myself. I can sleep on the couch or floor,"

Lee Tae Yang let out a sigh and crossed his arms over his chest,

"Do you think, I will let you sleep on the couch or the floor?"

"Then what is the reason? did you get tired of me or you don't like me anymore?" She cut the chase and prepared herself to face the truth,

Lee Tae Yang caught the shoulders of the girl who began to whimper and tried to coax her, "If I don't like you, then why are you at my place at this hour? Why are we celebrating the 100th day of our love?"

Lee Tae Yang wanted to laugh. His little girl had a high IQ, but sometimes, she asks such stupid questions with an innocent face and make him die with her dumb act.

Li Juan lowered her head and hesitantly asked the question which is popped up in her troubled mind,

"Are you embarrassed to go out with me?" 

"Ehh, why should I be embarrassed?"

"I am an ugly, poor teenager who dropped out of school and you are a handsome capable doctor hailing from a well off family,"

"But I love this ugly, poor dropped out student," He touched her nose with a doting expression, "You are my precious Xiao Li, why would I be embarrassed?"

Lee Tae Yang ruffled her wet short hair with placid smile,

"If I am your precious Xiao Li, then why aren't you letting me stay here?" Li Juan bit her lips to control the bubbling joy in her,

"Will you be fine, if I share my bed with you?" He leaned on to her and whispered in a low pitched voice, sending tickling sensation on her ears.

Li Juan moved away from him and perched her eyebrows in doubt,

"Don't tell me, Dr Lee has a habit of kicking peoples while asleep?"

Lee Tae Yang pulled her cheeks with an adorable smile,

"You are an adamant little thing, do you know that?" He sighed and fondled her cheeks, "Fine stay here, I will drop you home in the morning,"

"Thank you, Yangyang," Li Juan touched the dimples on his cheeks, "You are the best,"

Lee Tae Yang stood up and reached out for her hand,

"Come, I will get you something to change,"

"Are you really sure to go around in these dirty clothes, your place to too clean, I feel-" Li Juan hesitated to move around the clean and tidy house with her wet clothes,

"It appears clean and tidy only because I haven't got any time to create a mess here," He led her to the bedroom situated on the first floor.

Well, that's true, he practically lives in the hospital and only goes home to sleep.

The bedroom and study room in the two-storey house was on the first floor and the living room and kitchen were on the ground floor.

The moment Li Juan stepped into his bedroom the large balcony facing the sea caught her eyes,

As Lee Tae Yang walked towards his closet room, Li Juan was tempted to go the balcony,

Creak!!! He opened the doors of his cupboard and looked at the girl who was looking in the direction of the balcony,

"Xiao Li, choose one," He picked up a pair of pyjamas for him and left open the doors for Li Juan to look through,

"These look really costly," She blurted unconsciously while searching for a pair of pyjamas,

"I don't know..just take whatever you like," He told her and loosened the buttons on his shirt,

"How can you don't know the prices of the clothes which you've bought?"

"Pffttt...why do you think that I got time for shopping these many clothes?" He asked her as if she said something dumb, "My aunt runs a clothes brand, she is the one who sends these clothes,"

"Yeah... I forgot that you are a wealthy young master," Li Juan scoffed,

"Yes, yes my queen, go and change," He pushed her towards the washroom and left the room,

When Li Juan came back after changing, Lee Tae Yang brought a hot bowl of congee and some steamed dumplings for her,

"Did I doze off while changing? When did you make these?"

"In the morning. I usually leave food in the fridge, so that I can reheat and eat it when I come back," He stopped for a moment and looked at the girl who appeared dazed, "Or do you want some freshly prepared food?"

"Wait, wait...don't take it away, i haven't eaten anything," Li Juan grabbed the food tray and sat on the bedside couch,

"I will take a quick shower and come back," He picked up his clothes and headed towards the washroom,

While Lee Tae Yang was in the shower, Li Juan finished her meal and went downstairs to clean the bowl. She even ran a vague inspection of his house, 

His house had an artistic touch with lots of paintings and photographs, even he had a collection of cameras.

"You plays the guitar?" As soon as he came out of the washroom, she inquired him, while touching the strings of a guitar kept on a corner of his room,

"I used to play," He replied while drying his hair with a towel,

"You are totally different from what I have expected in my mind," Li Juan declared,

"I thought you are a perfect boyfriend material but i was wrong," She looked at him with a proud face, "you are even a level higher than that. A true husband material,"

Lee Tae Yang brushed off her comment with a smile, "Did you take your medicines?"

"About to," Li Juan took her bag and picked up a square box which had different types of tablets.

"YangYang is there any tablet which makes me sleepy?" She asked him after gulping down the tablets,

"No, not at all," Lee Tae Yang said as he arranged the bed sheets,

"I am unable to fall asleep. Whenever I fall asleep, she appears," Li Juan climbed on to the bed with a worried face and snuggled up to the pillow, as if it is her own bed,

"Your majesty?" He sat beside her and asked,

Li Juan already mentioned to him a few times that she is having nightmares about the murder of a woman and having trouble to fall asleep,

"She appears every day and asks me to save someone. But whom? Sometimes, that dream leave me worrying about a hypothetical situation where I am in death peril and no one is there to save me,"

"I will be there for you!" He affirmed and ruffled her hair,

"Really?" Her eyes glittered as she tried to probe more into his feelings,

"Hmm,"

"Even if I forget you one day? Will you still save me?" Li Juan bombarded him with questions.

"Yes,"

"Will you take a bullet for me?" She asked with a cheerful face,

"Yes,"

"I want to proofs," Li Juan smiled and pointed towards the guitar, "Yang Yang, can you play a chord for me?"

Li Juan wasn't a good singer, but somehow his words made her so happy that she felt like singing,

"Are you going to sing for me? Lee Tae Yang asked in delight and rushed to pick up the guitar. He tuned the strings and jumped out of the bed as if he got reminded of something,

"Wait a minute," He walked towards the table where he kept his cameras and picked up a digital video recorder and switched on,

"Now," Lee Tae Yang placed the camera facing two of them and picked up the guitar to play a chord, his eyes sparkling in rapture as he looked at the girl who is beginning to hum,

It was one of his favourite songs,

"Who's going to understand my heart?

 Who would know about my heart?

 It seems like everyone is laughing at me

 there's no one to lean on

 

I told myself that I'm fine now

 I thought that I would get used to it

 But despair comes back to me

Makes me fall again

 I'm alone again" 

The first part of Li Juan's song was like a question for him and Lee Tae Yang replied while humming along with her,

"I'll be by your side

 I'll tell you it's okay

 I'll tell you that everything's fine and you'll shine

 You're precious to me

On the day when everything seems to be over,

 Please remember my voice

 I promise, that everything is going to be okay,

 and you're the most important person to me,"

As soon as they finished the song, Li Juan wrapped her arms over him and showered him with cheeks,

Her eyes appeared moist as if she is trying hard to hold her tears.

"Yan gege said that you felt like you have known me from your past life? Is that true?" She moved away from him and asked,

"Hmm," He said while switching off the camera, 

"If that is so, do you think that we will meet again in our next life?" Li Juan asked him again,

He nodded and kept the guitar back in position.

"Even if I look different, will you love me the same?" Li Juan sat on the bed with crossed legs, eager to hear his reply,

He sat on the bed and replied in a resolute voice, "Yes."

"Even if I born in a different place?"

"Yes. I will search everywhere until I find you." He sat beside her and leaned on the headrest of the bed, 

"Why? you will always find someone better than me, you are the youngmaster of a wealthy family," Li Juan asked him and snuggled onto his chest,

Her question and actions contrasted each other,

"You tell me, what is so good to born in a wealthy family?"

"You don't have to have to worry about your living expenses," She replied while playing with his dimples. Her face had an innocence of a four-year-old child, who is curious about everything around her, "You don't have to work on part-time jobs,"

"Well, that's true...but being in a wealthy family is not nice as it seems," Lee Tae Yang stared directly into her deep eyes and continued, "You have freedom yet you will be chained by responsibilities. And if you are from a corporate family, then you are doomed. you can date whomever you want but you will be forced to marry a corporate heir to strengthen your business empire and you have to live upon the fear of shares," He explained to her,

"Aren't you from a business family?" She asked him with a pair of dubious eyes,

"Are you scared that I am going to break up with you?" His face had untraceable joy when he saw her eyebrows creased in worry,

"What if you are forced to marry a corporate heir?"

"I am a doctor, Xiao Li, why would i care about the shares of Lee corporation?" He casually replied and tried to loose her creased up eyebrows,

"It is your family business and you will let it go into smitheerens?" Her question was logical. Even though he is a doctor, will he stand back and watch their family business falls apart? No way. Then he is likely to marry a woman from a rich family. Li Juan's thoughts went wild,

"I am hundred percent sure that my family won't force me into an arranged marriage," Lee Tae Yang assured her,

"Why are you so sure? "

"I have two brothers, they will take care of the family business," His voice had a proud tone, but as soon as he felt the judgemental stare from Li Juan he felt he has said something wrong,

"Why are you looking at me like I am sacrificed them for my own happiness? Tian has always been an adventurous child, he was so pumped by his fighting spirit that he went to shooting ranges at the age of five and become a pro at the age of twelve. If you ask about Minmin, he is still a kid who loves to play games...if one day he wants to change Lee corporation into a gaming company or if he wants to start a new company, then i will definitely support him wholeheartedly and make sure to-"

"Does your family is supportive of your career as a doctor?" She asked him, from what she knew from Chi Yan, Lee Tae Yang belonged to a wealthy family who has enough money to live leisurely for the next five generations. She was curious to know how he managed to get support from his family?

"I have a privilege Xiao Li, I am making maximum usage of it. No one will say no to my wishes or demands," He scoffed and continued,

"I lost my parents when i was four years old. So even if they don't like it, my family have to agree with me no matter what I say. They were scared that if they say no, it might hurt me." The corners of his lips tightened together and an agonized look flashed in his eyes before continuing,

"It was a bit difficult in the beginning, to grow up in two families....to feel suffocated with two temperaments. But now i think that growing up in two different countries made me more open to the world and give me more strength," He stopped for a moment and avoided Li Juan's curious eyes,

"But sometimes, sometimes I think about how different would have been my life if my parents were alive. Would I have grown up as the person who I am now, or would have become a typical corporate heir or a ruthless military officer?"

"Whether you become a corporate heir or a military officer, you would have been the same, Lee Tae Yang," She raised her head and pressed her lips on the side of his neck, "So warm and radiant like a sun who shines upon others,"

Lee Tae Yang grabbed the hold of her chin and looked at with melancholic eyes,

"I mean, just try to believe that everything happened for a good cause," Li Juan tried to comfort him with a smile,

"If your parents and my father were alive do you think we would meet like this? I wouldn't have fallen from the school building and you wouldn't have become a doctor?" She inquired him,

"We would have met." His lips curled up into a genuinely pleasant smile, " Didn't I tell you that I have known you from my past life... So I would have searched everywhere until I find you," Lee Tae Yang pressed his lips on her plump lips and enclosed her into a warm embrace,

"Make sure to meet me in your next life too,"