Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

Six years later, Jing city,

A matte black Maybach moved through the busy streets of Jing city that leads to the northern side of the City, a place preferred by people who wish to live close to nature, away from the bustling crowd. 

After driving half an hour through the road that was guarded with lush green trees, the car took a turn and entered the compound of a two-storey house that looked like a wooden cabin.

Stepping out of the car, Hao Ren glanced around the house with bemused eyes. The entire compound was filled with flowers and fruit-bearing trees. Even the breeze that caressed them carried the soothing floral scent.

"You live here? What about the condo?" Chi Yan uttered in disbelief and looked at Lee Tae Yang, who got down from the driving seat after parking the car in the garage.

"Xiao Li always wished to have a big garden at home. So we moved here. " Lee Tae Yang smilingly replied as he led his friends to the front door.

"Oh good lord, she asked for a garden, not a forest." Chi Yan almost choked upon listening to his friend's words and quickly turned to face Hao Ren, who was silently observing the greenery around the house, 

"Do you love your girlfriend enough to create a forest and live there for the rest of your lives? Are you that smitten by your girlfriend?" Chi Yan bombarded the latter with questions. 

"Well, who doesn't like fresh air and waking up listening to the bird songs? I would love to live in a place like this," Hao Ren stated indifferently,

Lee Tae Yang gave Chi Yan "I told you," look and opened the door without any delay. He handed over the house slippers and let the other two enter into the strangely quiet house,

"Where are the owners of the house?" Chi Yan inquired when he noticed that other than sweet melodies of nature from outside, no sound was heard inside the house as if no one is at home,

"Oh, that's strange. Normally Xiao Li and kids will be running out whenever they hear the sound of my car." Lee Tae Yang doubtingly said and gave a glance across the living room, 

"You guys take a seat, let me get Xiao Li," He asked them and walked towards the study room next to the living room. 

"Honey?" He knocked at the door, and it got opened to reveal the slender figure of a woman.

"Honey," He called her once again to gather her attention. 

Yasook, the golden retriever who was snuggling to Li Juan's feet was the first one to recognize Lee Tae Yang and he immediately stood up and rushed towards the man.

However, Li Juan, whose were eyes glued to the laptop screen, let go of the dog as he wanted and kept herself busy attending an online class.

"Professor Li, I think we should wrap up the class today, your dog and husband are waiting for you." Someone from the virtual class, pointed out, all of sudden.

"Yes, professor, let's wind up," The rest of the students singsonged.

"Huh?" Li Juan immediately turned back and saw the tug of war between the man and the dog.

"Sorry, I will take him out." Lee Tae Yang apologetically said and grabbed his dog.

"Professor, your dog is cute."

"Professor, your husband is too handsome." Few of the enthusiastic students commented.

"Yes, yes... I will convey your valuable comments and as for now, let's wrap up the class and meet after the new year holidays."

She quickly wrapped up the meeting, and the next moment she was wrapped by a pair of strong arms.

"You said you will only reach by tomorrow," Li Juan asked the man who was clinging onto her body.

Lee Tae Yang removed the AirPods from her ears and whispered in a low voice.

"I thought, I will give you a surprise. But it seems like professor Li is really busy." He replied in a sulky voice and glanced at the bunch of documents lying on the desk. 

"Oh, it's new year proposals and some of my student's thesis papers for review." She replied as she turned around and dangled her arms over his neck. 

"Welcome home, my Sunshine." She cooed in a soft but slightly sultry voice and tiptoed to place a kiss on his lips. 

"We missed you."

"That's why I brought you a gift." Lee Tae Yang mumbled and reluctantly let her loose from his arms to lead her to the living room.

When she pushed open the door of the study room, her curious eyes caught the sight of smiling Chi Yan and Hao Ren sitting on the couch. 

"Hi there, Madam Lee!!!" Chi Yan sang like a chirpy bird as he waved his hands and greeted her. 

"Oh God, when Yangyang said surprise, I did not expect Yan Gege and Ren Gege at all," Li Juan covered her mouth in astonishment and strode towards the couch.

It's been a while since she saw the two of them, and she was indeed happy to meet them.

"Ren Gege, it's been a while and congratulations." She shook hands with Hao Ren since he was visiting them for the first time since her marriage.

"I'm so glad that you are finally getting married. Why didn't you bring your bride?"

"Thank you, Xiao Li," Hao Ren responded with a beaming smile 

"April wants to come with me, but she got caught up in the last minute hassles of her works. She sends her regards." He handed over the paper bags to her as a token of gratitude. 

"I should've brought some foreign souvenirs to impress Madam Lee." Chi Yan pouted in dismay,

"Yes, you are not welcomed unless you bring Little Bao and her mom." She rebuked in the same tone and broke into a peal of laughter. "How are they?"

"Well, we are good. How are you? I thought you must be ruling the capital city like a Queen but never knew that master Lee has locked his precious wife and kids away from others in a cabin inside the forest." Chi Yan sarcastically stated. When he visited the Lee family last year, they lived in an apartment in the epicentre of the capital because of their jobs.

"Locked up?" Li Juan giggled at his words and exchanged glances with her husband, "What is he saying?"

"Just don't mind him." Hao Ren came to the rescue of Li Juan.

"Where are your kids? I'm dying to meet them."

"Yes, where are they?" Chi Yan singsonged with him as he glanced over the living room. 

"They are in the library." 

"Library? How old are your kids?" Taken aback by her statement, Chi Yan doubtingly inquired. "Four or five?"

"Five." Li Juan answered flatly,

"Your kids use the library at the age of five?"

"No…no… they just locked me out as a punishment." She informed with a smile and turned towards her husband for an explanation. 

"We argued and fought with each other. So the boys are waiting for dad to resolve the issue. Until then, they won't talk to me."

"Huh? What happened here while I'm away for a few days?" Lee Tae Yang wondered and stood up from the couch, "Let me check them." 

Chi Yan, who volunteered his help to resolve the matter, followed his friend, "Are you coming with us?" He asked Hao Ren, who patiently sat on the sofa. 

"Nope, I want to have a word with madam Lee." Hao Ren refused and let the others leave the room.

While Hao Ren and Li Juan immersed themselves in conversation, Lee Tae Yang stood before the closed door of the library and gently knocked.

"Mommy, you are not allowed to come here," A cute little voice heard from the library, like a sweet melody to ears. 

"Oh, it's not mommy....it's Uncle Yan," Chi Yan exhilaratingly informed as he opened the door and entered the library. 

"Uncle Yan!!!!" A high pitched cheer floated across the room, and even before he could say something, a pair of cute little bundles rushed towards him.

"My little bunnies, uncle missed you so much." Chi Yan knelt and hugged the twins, who appeared delighted to see their uncle Yan. 

"We missed you too, uncle Yan. Did you come with daddy? Daddy is home?" They inquired in unison and wriggled their way out of Chi Yan's hold to dash out from the room.

"I heard that we have an emergency at home."

Lee Tae Yang's deep voice echoed in the room as he elegantly leaned on the door frame and looked at his sons.

"Daddy!!!!" As soon as Lee Tae Yang appeared before them, the little guys rushed towards him and held onto his thighs.

With a beaming face, Lee Tae Yang crouched down to their eye level and embraced his sons. 

"I was worried that dad won't be home during the new year." Lee Tae Hyun, the eldest among the twins, curled his lips into a sulky pout. 

"Yes, me too. Daddy, we should make lotus lanterns." Lee Tae Yong, the youngest, suggested as he flashed a welcoming smile and gripped his father's arms.

"Daddy missed you too and flew back as soon as the meeting got over to meet my babies. But I didn't see anyone at the doorstep. What happened? Did you fight with your mommy?" Lee Tae Yang pried more to know the truth.

The twins looked at each other and answered together, 

"No. We didn't." 

"Then why is she not allowed in the library?" 

"Mommy reads too much." Little Yong complained after a moment's silence. 

"Huh?" Chi Yan subconsciously took a glance around the room that looked like a mini-library. 

"She reads too much and doesn't have time for us." Tae Yong went ahead with his complaints. 

"I don't think my bunnies will punish mommy for something trivial like that. What exactly happened?" Lee Tae Yang interrogated the twins who were lying to him. 

"Mommy promised to pick us from kindergarten at 3 pm. But she was late for ten minutes." Tae Hyun was the one who calmly explained the reason for their argument. 

"Is that why you are punishing her?" 

"She didn't dress properly." 

"Didn't even comb her hair." 

The complaints began to flow endlessly.

"That's some serious allegations." Lee Tae Yang remarked after listening to their words and stood up from the ground.

"But why did you stop talking to mommy?"

"Daddy, other kids are making fun of mommy. They said that she does not look like our mother, but our nanny." Tae Hyun amitted with a pair of grief-stricken eyes.

"We asked her to come wearing a princess dress like other mommies. But she came wearing some ugly clothes and uncombed hair, breaking her word, ruining our image before everyone else."

Chi Yan, who was silently listened to the conversation, meddled when he could no longer control his bewilderment. 

"Wait, you guys are just five years old. Do you know what is meant by ruining images?" 

"Uncle Yan, our dad is the top neurologist in the country, and our uncles owns the largest corporations in the entire continent, even the biggest gaming corporation in the world. On the other hand, mom just dresses up like a bodyguard and comes to pick us from school. Forget us, isn't she supposed to hold an image of the heir?" Lee Tae Yong argued back.

"Did you talk to mommy about this?" Lee Tae Yang let out a sigh and probed more.

"No, we were waiting for dad to come home and teach mommy." Little Hyun informed in his childish voice, but the weight of his words held more than an adult could speak.

"Mommy never gets time to take care of herself, then how can she take care of us?"