Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

"Thud, thud," 

The heavy banging sound on the tinted glass woke up Tang Wei Sheng from his deep slumber. 

He squinted eyes as the warm sunlight glared his vision,

"Thud thud,"

Tang Wei Sheng subconsciously responded to the noise and tilted his head to find a terrified Yang Xiong banging on the window.

"Young master, open the door," 

Though he couldn't hear anything, Tang Wei Sheng understood what his assistant was trying to convey.

He reached out to the door handle and opened the car's door. 

"Young master...are you alright? Yang Xiong frantically pulled Tang Wei Sheng's hand and tried to get him out of the car,

"Young master, say something," 

"Bro Yang," Tang Wei Sheng paused and gave a quick glance at his surroundings. 

He was sitting inside his car which was stopped in front of a huge white building,

"Where am I?" Tang Wei Sheng asked as he dragged his exhausted body out of the car.

"Silver Oak high school grounds," Yang Xiong robotically replied.

"Silver Oak!!!" Tang Wei Sheng once again scanned the huge white building that lies before his eyes. The place which gifted him the happiest memories in his life.

His school, his friends and her...everything about this place was special for Tang Wei Sheng.

But why is he here and when did he even leave his home? 

"Young master, do you remember anything that happened last night?" Yang Xiong's voice woke up him from the thoughts. 

"Bro Yang, can you take me home? I feel terrible," He supported his exhausted frame on the car. 

"How about you come to my home and take a rest?" 

"As long as I can lie down for a while, any place is fine...My body is aching like hell," 

"Please get in," Yang Xiong opened the back door of the car for the tired man.

As soon as the car moved away from the vicinity of Silver Oak, Tang Wei Sheng who was pondering in his memories, opened his mouth to speak out his assumption.

"Bro Yang, I am afraid that he came last night and made some trouble," 

"I've tracked your car's locations and it seems like you wandered around downtown and Jing university before coming to Silver Oak high school," 

"Downtown and Jing university?" Tang Wei Sheng muttered in doubt.

Was he searching for Li Juan?

All of sudden, Yang Xiong's mobile rang and he reported as soon as he picked up the call.

"Yes, sir. I have already contacted the PR department and they'll handle it. Yes, I will inform him,"

"Bro Yang, is everything alright?" Tang Wei Sheng inquired as he heard Yang Xiong's words. It was a normal thing for his alternate personality to create trouble whenever it takes over him.

"There was a tabloid news about you spending a night with....miss Ning,"

"Miss Ning!" Tang Wei Sheng's eyebrows creased in displeasure. "If I have spent the night with her, then why would I end up in the car? that too in front of the school?"

"But there is evidence -" Yang Xiong tried to explain to his boss who refused to believe that such an unfortunate incident happened again.

"What nonsense? Is that why you came looking for me?" He couldn't hide his anger and annoyance.

"When this news came out, I went to look for you in sky castle and found miss Ning in your room...alone," He gulped and vaguely tried to hide his shock. During the time he spent with Tang Wei Sheng, he has never seen his young master initiating any contact with women who were interested in him and the only exception was Li Juan.

"I am afraid this time it is not just a rumour,"

"He did it?" Tang Wei Sheng's almond eyes flared as he spat out the words. His alter ego finally decided to let go of his obsession over Lu Juan and chose some other woman?

"Your father has arranged a meeting with Ning family regarding the same,"

"What the hell? I am not going," Tang Wei Sheng denied without any second thoughts. Whatever his alternate ego does, he will not take any responsibility for it, especially if it is associated with Ning Jing. She was also indirectly responsible for ruining whatever relationship he had with Li Juan.

"Young Master, you must go and confront miss Ning about the truth,"

"They are planning to force me to marry her. I don't want to do it,"

"You should at least talk to miss Ning and come clean about what happened last night," Yang Xiong tried to console him.

"I don't remember anything bro Yang...I don't even remember inviting or spending time with her," 

"If you tell miss Ning the truth, she might be able to help you," Yang Xiong suggested.

"And you can avoid further complications, such as a marriage and a child,"

"A child," Tang Wei Sheng mumbled,

What if he left his seed in her and let it grow into another Wei Lang? No, that can't be happening.

"Bro Yang, give me your phone," He picked up the cell phone from Yang Xiong and failed his father's number. 

"Why did you arrange the meeting with the Ning family?" 

"How long are you planning to ruin this family's name?" Tang Yi's interrogative voice heard from the other side. 

"I will cut the chase, you should get married to miss Ning and put an end to this drama,"

"No," Tang Wei Sheng bellowed, 

"I am no longer the little boy who is scared of his abusive father. This is my life and I will take decisions for me,"

"Tang Wei Sheng, I am giving you one last chance. If you continue to go against me-"

"What are you going to do? Kill me? Just like the way you tried to kill Li Juan?" He didn't hesitate to blame his father. 

"You are alive only because Wei clan's blood runs through your veins," 

"In the end, everyone has a weakness and father, your unconditional loyalty towards your family and clan makes me, your unwanted child as your biggest fear and weakness," Tang Wei Sheng stated in a condescending tone. 

"You must remember that your weakness is still alive," Tang Yi reminded him as a matter of fact,

"That girl is still alive, isn't she?" 

Tang Wei Sheng was left loss at words for a moment when he realised the threatening tone of his father. 

"You have done enough to ruin her life if you plan to do the same...then..then...I will not sit back and watch,"

"So you are afraid," Tang Yi made a casual remark. 

"She is no longer the orphan girl whom you can hurt whenever you want. She is the young miss of the Bai family. You can never touch-"

"Do you think I will be afraid of the Bai family? Think wise Wei Sheng," 

"I will not change my decision even if you threaten me," Tang Wei Sheng declared in an unflinching tone.

"Even if she dies in front of your eyes?"

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

A month later,

In the check-in lounge of Soul city's airport, Lee Tae Yang went through the voice messages sent by Li Juan.

He flew to soul city for a meeting with the board directors of Lee corporation in the K country. Though he has temporarily moved to Jing city, he was obliged to oversee the work happening in the main head quarters once in a while.

"Yangyang, our baby is too picky with food. I want to eat prawn fried rice for lunch but our baby didn't even allow me to finish my meal. It seems like baby only likes whatever daddy makes," Li Juan's soulful voice reached his ears.

"I've called Tae Min and he said his fever got better by now. But he is not allowing any of us to visit him. He thinks that I will get infected. You should give him a call and ask what's the real deal is? "

"Yangyang, today also I had the same drowning dream while taking an after noon nap, but with an interesting twist. While I was drowning, I saw a dragon...a white dragon to be precise. It looked so beautiful and majestic. She saved me,"

"I know, there aren't any female dragons. But for some reasons, it felt that the one who saved me was a female dragon. Once she rescued me, she even brought me lilies and kissed me in the abdomen as if she is blessing our baby,"

"You know what is even surprising? Her eyes reminded me of yours,"

Lee Tae Yang smiled warmly at her words as he looked at the photos of Li Juan with a tiny baby bump. 

Though it wasn't easily noticeable for others, he could recognize the little human who is growing inside her womb.

"Ring Ring,"

"Brother, when are you coming home?" Guan Tian Long's cheerful voice heard as soon as Lee Tae Yang accepted the call, "Grandpa plans to visit Bai family for discussing your wedding dates,"

"Grandpa hasn't gone yet?"

"He is waiting for you to come home so that we can officially ask for the bride,"

"We already moved in together, these wedding and all-" Lee Tae Yang's words got interrupted by a bewildered shriek.

"What did you say?" 

Lee Tae Yang moved the phone from his ears and squinted his eyes. 

"You moved in with her? From when? Where is she? Give the phone to the queen," Two voices demanded simultaneously,

"Uncle, aunty, listen to me first," 

"When did you start living with her?" Feng Mian, Guan Tian Long's mother interrogated him. 

"It's been a while,"

"While means? is it after the new year?"

"Before," Lee Tae Yang answered with a soft smile. 

"Oh my god, it has been almost four months and....and....does that mean my dream is becoming true? I had a dream of a dragon embracing you," Feng Mian said in an elated tone. 

"Woahhh, now I am convinced that this sort of dreams is supposed to run in the family," Lee Tae Yang chuckled, "Xiao Li has a huge collection of vivid dreams, just like you. She even said that she saw a dragon in her dreams,"

"She also had a dragon in her dream?"

"What are you doing, honey?" Guan Han Qing asked his wife who was excited beyond control.

"Men doesn't understand these kinds of things. Tae Yang, what exactly did she saw?"

"She has been saved by a dragon and it even gave her flowers,"

"Flowers and dragon, oh my heavens," Feng Mian shouted in happiness,

"Honey, we are becoming grandparents,"

"Huh?" Lee Tae Yang heard his cousin trying to hold the laughter while listening to his parent's conversations.

"Dragons...she dreamt of dragons," 

"So what?" Guan Han Qing argued,

"Aiishhh, both of you...It's a conception dream. When aunt was pregnant with Zilan Jie and while I was carrying Tian, both of us dreamt of dragons," Feng Mian tried to convince.

"Really aunty? Grandma also dreamt of dragons while carrying my mom?" Lee Tae Yang sounded curious,

"Yes. That's what I am saying. She dreamt of an azure dragon holding a mouthful of flowers. Didn't you tell that your Queen saw flowers? It will be a girl...Oh god...I am getting a daughter in law and granddaughter all at once,"

"Mom, the baby hasn't born yet and how can you say that his child will be a girl?" Guan Tian Long who was silent in the fear of blurting out the truth carefully picked the words. 

"I know...Tae Yang, you tell me," Feng Mian asked confidently, " What was the colour of the dragon, how big was it? Let me confirm its meaning,"

"Aunty, I guess...it was a white dragon with black eyes and it gave lily flowers to Xiao Li,"

All of sudden the other end fell silent, 

"Aunty, are you there? 

"Tae Yang, where is the Queen?" Feng Mian asked monotonously,

Lee Tae Yang looked at his watch to check the time before replying,

"She might be home by now,"

"Who else is there at home?"

"She is alone there. I am on the way," He stood up from the seat as the passengers for the flight began to move to the boarding area.

"Call her right now and tell her to stay safe," Feng Mian's serious tone made Lee Tae Yang skip a heartbeat.

"Aunty, is there anything wrong?"

"No, I am coming there as soon as possible,"

"Aunty!!!"

"If she is pregnant with your child, then Guan family must protect her. Tae Yang, go home safely," The call ended without any further words.

Lee Tae Yang stopped in his tracks and dialled Li Juan's number as his aunt suggested.

"The number you have been trying to call is currently switched off,"

"Switched off?" He opened the tracking application installed on his cell phone.

When Li Juan fainted, he gifted her a smartwatch with a blood pressure monitor and location tracker for the sake of her health and security.

He checked the details that popped up on the phone screen. For some reasons, it showed Li Juan's location is in front of a fried chicken restaurant, downtown in Jing City.

Lee Tae Yang familiar with that location,

It was aunt Mei Rong's restaurant.

"She might have gone to meet her aunt and brother...they were like a family for her...so it is normal for Li Juan to visit them,"

Lee Tae Yang took a deep breath to calm the fear creeping inside him.

However, before boarding the flight, he called Chen Da Meng and instructed to look for Li Juan.

"It is going to be alright, Xiao Li and baby are safe," He chanted in his mind while the flight thrust high into the air.

And abruptly the thought of white dragon and lily flowers flashed before his eyes.

Since he shared half of his genes with the Guan family who was believed to be the descendants of the dragon emperor, Lee Tae Yang was aware of the beliefs and stories about the mythical creatures that once ruled this mighty world.

Dragons they always symbolize great power and wealth...

but a white dragon...It was nothing but an omen of death.