Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

Li Juan woke up after remaining unconscious for a day,

"Mamma...Yangyang," She recognized two of her family members and called them in a feeble voice, "Did I scare you again?"

Li Qin grasped her daughter's palm, her eyes brimming with tears as she watched her daughter trying to put a brave front before her,

"I am alright, Mamma...It was just a headache. That exam was too tough and it squeezed my brain dry," Li Juan tried to pacify her mother who was on the verge of crying.

Li Juan shifted her gaze to Lee Tae Yang with a faint smile,

"Yangyang, mamma worries a lot, can we go home?" She requested,

"Let's stay here for two more days and we will go home," His voice softened as he looked at her tired face.

"Two days? Why two days?" She looked puzzled, "Did something happened to me?"

Nobody dared to tell Li Juan that she was unconscious for an entire day and was kept under observation.

"No. It is almost the time of your monthly checkup. Let's run some tests so that you don't have to come again," 

"Ahh, then let's do it quickly and go home,"

"Xiao Li!!!!" Chi Yan's cheerful voice distracted Li Juan from her thoughts, "Look what I've brought," He pointed towards the big bouquet of yellow roses kept beside her bed, "Congratulations for surviving the torturous three days of graduation exams,"

Lee Tae Yang picked up the bouquet and gave it to Li Juan,

"Yan Gege, thank you so much...I love it,"

She gently touched the petals of the flowers and her eyes brightened in joy,

"Xiao Li, "Lee Tae Yang called her in a doting voice, "Eat something, I will come back when I am free,"

As soon as three of them got out of the room, Lee Tae Yang stopped Hao Ren who appeared devasted at the sight of Li Juan's pale face,

"Did you look for it?"

"Hmm, are you free now?" Hao Ren asked, "Or call me when you are free,"

"I am free now,"

They went to the resting room and took a seat across the table. Hao Ren picked up a water bottle and gulped down a mouthful before facing Lee Tae Yang. 

"Whatever you heard from aunt Li is just the tip of an iceberg," He began to share the details he gathered when he went back to Jing city, " Xiao Li was bullied because of her skin colour and her family background. Both emotionally and physically" 

He stopped for a moment and studied Lee Tae Yang's frozen demeanour. 

"While studying in Silver Oak, Xiao Li had only one friend in the entire school and that's friend's brother was her boyfriend. He was the topper of their school who hailed from one of the biggest conglomerates family. Actually, so many kids from my school had a crush on Xiao Li. They even took it into a stalking level and tried to hurt her. However she kicked their asses," 

"Really?" Chi Yan asked with a surprised face. "She fights with boys?"

"She almost broke a boy's jaw when she was in elementary school," Lee Tae Yang casually said,

"Huh...then why did she allow others to bully her?"

"She promised her mother that she won't get into any trouble and get herself expelled from the school,"

"Yes, since all those bullies are from wealthy families it is normal for her to endure everything at school for the sake of her mother. However, outside the school, she is a free bird and beat the shit out of people who bullied her," Hao Ren smiled in appreciation,

"Her boyfriend used to be a nice guy and everyone says that he ruled Silver Oak like a king. However, once he got into a relationship with Xiao Li, he fought with his friends, beat those kids who tried to hurt Xiao Li. He was considered as the knight in shining armour for her.

While Xiao Li was working part-time she got into trouble with some local thugs. Her boyfriend almost killed them and got injured in the process to save her,"

"Wait a minute," Chi Yan interrupted him, "Aren't we talking about high school kids and how the hell a group of thugs entered into the scene?" He wobbled his head sideways and looked at his friends for an answer,

Hao Ren ignored his question and continued, "Anyway, after that incident he and his sister cut their ties with Xiao Li and went abroad. But the real problem started after that. There was a malicious rumour going around on the internet that some girl from Silver Oak was sexually abused. Somehow it was pointed towards Xiao Li. She has to suffer a lot because of that rumour. Maybe that's the reason why the moved to S city." Hao Ren concluded and looked at Lee Tae Yang,

"These stories are from a third person's point of view. If you want to know the truth you must ask Xiao Li,"

"What I can deduct from all these stories is, don't mess with Xiao Li. Though she looks like an angel, she is a monster in disguise," Chi Yan commented, "She can ruin your life,"

The moment the words left Chi Yan's mouth he was attacked with a murderous glare from Lee Tae Yang and Hao Ren at the same time.

"Why are you glaring at me? Did I say something wrong? That day when she threw a tantrum in the ward, I witnessed with my eyes how great her fighting skills " Chi Yan shook his head while trying to recollect the memories from that night, 

"Are you going to ask Xiao Li about this?" Hao Ren asked his friend who appeared silent,

"No," Lee Tae Yang said in a firm voice, "She doesn't have any memories of those days, it is better to leave it like that,"

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

When Lee Tae Yang came to visit Li Juan in the night, he was surprised to see a lanky boy in his early teens sitting beside her bed.

"Who are you?" The boy woke up from his half-sleep and stared at the stranger who entered their room without any manners,

"Who are you?" Lee Tae Yang asked him. Since his shift was over, he had changed into his own clothes, so it was normal for others to take him as a commoner.

"It is my sister's room, whom are you looking for?" The boy retorted,

"Sister? I have never known that Xiao Li has a brother," Lee Tae Yang smiled before moving towards the bed. He checked Li Juan's pulse and adjusted the IV drip, "Where is aunt Li?"

When the boy saw the stranger's actions as if he is experienced with medical procedures, he inquired in doubt,

"Are you Jie's doctor?"

"I am her boyfriend," Lee Tae Yang casually said,

"Boyfriend? My Jie doesn't have a boyfriend," The boy refused to believe it and scanned the man who took a seat beside the bed.

"She recently got one. Little bro, what is your name?" 

"I am Qiao Chu," He answered and continued to stare at Lee Tae Yang, "What is your name?"

"Lee Tae Yang. Little brother, go to sleep, I will sit here and take care of your sister,"

"She is my sister, I know how to take care of her," He appeared guarded against Lee Tae Yang, as he continued to stare with a pair of hostile eyes.

"But you look tired. Why don't you get some rest?

"So do you," He refuted back, "Why don't you get some rest?"

Lee Tae Yang let out a low chuckle when he sensed the evident animosity in Qiao Chu's words. Since he has a possessive brother like Qiao Chu at home, he could easily understand the little boy's hostility.

"Fine, let's take care of Xiao Li, together,"

After a while, Li Juan woke up from sleep, panting and profusely sweating.

"What happened?" Lee Tae Yang asked in an anxious voice. 

"It's her again. I need to save her!" She tried to get up from the bed, but the tubes and needles attached to her body restricted her movements.

"I need to go and she needs me," her voice broke down into tears while she struggled to unclasp herself from various medical equipment kept for monitoring her condition,

Qiao Chu who fell asleep a little ago, woke up immediately when he heard Li Juan's sobs.

"Okay, okay let me help you," Lee Tae Yang grabbed Li Juan's fragile arms to stop her from moving, 

"You will help me?" She looked at him hopefully," Then promise me, promise me that you will take me to her,"

"I promise that I will be the one who is going to take you to your queen," Lee Tae Yang linked his pinky finger with her finger and sealed the promise.

"You cannot break a promise,"

"I will not break the promise," He assured and helped her to lay down on the bed. "Close your eyes and sleep some more,"

" Whenever I close my eyes, she appears before me." her big black eyes held sorrow and helplessness, "She is not letting me sleep,"

Lee Tae Yang gently caressed her forehead,

"Next time when she appears, promise her that you will save her, tell her that you'll come for her,"

That night, no one in the room slept,

Li Juan who was under the medication woke up from her sleep every time when she had a nightmare in which a woman was murdered before her eyes and broke into tears like a baby.

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

The next day the staff in the first hospital heard unbelievable news.

For the first time in his career, Lee Tae Yang, a final year resident doctor in neurology, who is known for his exceptional surgical skills blanked out while assisting a major surgery and made a mistake.

Though the main surgeon handled the issue skillfully, that one mistake became a stain in Lee Tae Yang's exceptional track record.

No one could blame him. Everyone knew Lee Tae Yang was unable to have a proper rest in the last three days. Whenever he gets some free time, all of them have seen him rushing to the room where his girlfriend was admitted.

Once the surgery was over, Luo Ben Cheng took Lee Tae Yang to the cafeteria and bought a coffee before sitting down for a conversation with his student.

"Do you know what is the most important skill a surgeon needs?" Luo Ben Cheng inquired the young man who remained silent,

"A surgeon's mind should be always tranquil and calm like still water. No matter how turbulent is your life, the moment you step into the surgical room, you should not waver under any circumstances," Luo Ben Cheng explained in a gentle voice, 

"I apologize for my absence of mind, professor," Lee Tae Yang said with downcasted eyes.

"I am not blaming you...we are human beings and we ought to make mistakes. But a doctor's mistake will result in loss of someone's life,"

"Professor, I am-" Lee Tae Yang tried to explain,

"You are worried about Li Juan, isn't it?" Luo Ben Cheng asked as a matter of fact, "Do you remember what I've said to her when she confessed that she likes you?"

"You advised her to wait and rethink her decision," He replied mechanically,

"I am not saying that it is a sin to fall in love with a patient. But you know how serious is Li Juan's condition. It is a miracle that she survived till now. Her recovery was quick and I fear that her condition will deteriorate even quicker. She will have periodical of memory losses and countless relapses. And one day, she may not be able to recognize you,"

"I will stay with her and I can remind her," His words sounded resolute,

"How long will you do that? Some day, you have to get settled...You will get married to Li Juan. You will have children. But her conditions won't change...will you able to take care of her the same?" Luo Ben Cheng said in a reprimanding tone. "You have a bright future ahead, don't ruin it in the name of love,"

"If I can't save the person I love, then why should continue in this career?" Lee Tae Yang asked his professor in an unflinching tone.

"I apologize for my mistake, Professor. I will never repeat it," He bowed before Luo Ben Cheng, left the place with a perturbed face.

Within a short period of time, the entire hospital staff knew about the news of Lee Tae Yang's mistake. Few of them sympathized with him. Some criticized him. Some felt pity for him.

Even the news has reached Li Qin's ears. She also tried hard to make him give up on his persistent nature and let it go of Li Juan,

"Yangyang, please listen to aunty. You are still young and you have a life ahead. Don't ruin your future for the sake of Lili," She begged him,

Lee Tae Yang turned his face towards Li Juan who was asleep on the hospital bed,

"I am sorry aunt Li, I will not change my decision. I choose Xiao Li over anything and everything I have and I am not going to leave her,"