Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

In the afternoon, Hu Lan Xi came with her husband to meet Liang. Xu Da Tong, their neighbour, was in the business of renting out yachts and boats for tourists who visits east Sea Islands.

"Uncle Xu, I need to go to Xi city, can you arrange a ride?" Liang asked him.

"Of course, young master." Xu Da Tong was excited to help him.

"When are you leaving?"

"When are you leaving?" Liang looked at Li Juan for confirmation. " What about tomorrow?"

"Yes." Li Juan agreed without any second thoughts.

"Okay then, we can leave around nine am in the morning." Xu Da Tong suggested.

"Yes," Liang agreed and thanked Xu Da Tong.

After spending some time with Liang and Li Juan, the neighbours returned to their home.

Apart from packing her bags, Li Juan didn't have anything to do. So she cleaned the house, watered the plants and cooked for both of them. Even though Li Juan stayed in the villa for almost a week- it felt a home for her.

Li Juan couldn't sleep during the night.

She tossed and turned in the bed.

The bed seems too cold to sleep on, Li Juan rose from her bed and walked towards the closet. She opened the shelves and looked for some warm clothes. There was a black hoodie along with Liang's girlfriend's clothes and Li Juan took it.

Should she seek permission from Liang before wearing it? Li Juan thought for a moment and walked towards the door with the hoodie.

Suddenly a faint knock was heard on the door. Li Juan opened the door. It was Liang.

"Did I wake you?" Liang asked her.

"No. I wasn't sleeping." Li Juan replied with a smile. "You weren't sleeping?"

"No, I was unable to fall asleep and thought about helping myself with some beer. Since it was your last night here, How about we share a beer or two?"

"Sounds good." Li Juan came out of her room. Liang took a case of beer from the fridge.

"Dr Liang let's go outside." Li Juan suggested when they were about to sit down.

"It may be chilly outside." Liang reminded her. Even though the winter is over, the nights were cold indeed.

"It is okay, I will be fine." Li Juan said with a faint smile.

"Why don't you wear the hoodie, then?" Liang suggested.

"It is your girlfriend's hoodie," Li Juan hesitated for a moment.

"I don't mind if you take all the clothes in the closet."

"Really?"

"Yeah, just wear something warm, I don't want you to catch a cold."

Li Juan wore the hoodie and walked towards the door.

The moment she opened the door, a chilly breeze passed her. He was right- it was cold indeed. Li Juan walked towards the wooden patio table.

"To your last day in East sea island," Liang raised his beer bottle.

"To our last day together," Li Juan banged her bottle with his.

Liang took some firewood and burned it in the fire pit for keeping themselves warm.

Li Juan already drank a whole bottle of beer. Since she was intolerant to alcohol, a bottle of beer was enough for making her tipsy. She looked at Liang who was setting the fire.

The flame-red light of the fire gave him a strong aura of a handsome man. His perfectly chiselled face was Godly and his features were perfect.

"Mr Bright?" Li Juan grabbed the attention of Liang.

"What did you call me?" Liang asked with a surprise.

"Bright. Isn't your name?"

"My name is Liang."

"isn't it the same?" Li Juan was confused. "Ah, Mr Bright,

Do you know something?"

Liang curiously waited for her answer.

"You are pretty."

Liang Chuckled upon hearing the compliment.

She called a grown-ass man pretty.

"Well, I am honoured to hear that. Thank you, Miss Li Juan." Liang replied with a big smile on his face.

"What are you doing there? Come sit here," Li Juan ordered him. She was indeed very drunk.

"You asked me to join for a drink and now you are sober and I am the drunk one.

Why Mr Bright, what are you planning? Are you going to play something dirty?" Li Juan asked him directly and chuckled.

Liang was stunned. It was true that they were all alone and it doesn't mean that he will make her drink and hit on her.

"Do you like me?" Li Juan asked him.

Upon seeing his flabbergasted face, Li Juan couldn't control her laughter.

"I was joking Mr Bright, I know that you have a girlfriend."

Liang looked at her in disbelief.

"I don't have a girlfriend."

"Oh please, Mr Bright, I know everything. I even know that you build this vacation home for her.

Oh, I envy her! She has an adorable boyfriend who builds a castle and patiently waits for her return. How romantic is that? Something straight out of Fairytales." Li Juan grinned like Cheshire cat.

"I never imagined that you would become jealous over fairy tale love stories. You seem like a person who prefers reality over fantasy."

"Really! Who told you that?" Li Juan was a little bit annoyed.

"No one, It was just a random thought of mine," Liang explained it to her.

"Hmm, people think that I am an unromantic brat." Li Juan tried to justify her behaviour. "But in reality," she paused for a moment.

"In reality?"

"I am just an unromantic brat. I was so unromantic that I got dumped even before I officially started dating." Li Juan sneered.

Liang didn't interrupt her; he let her speak. So that she can flush out the burden of breaking up with Tang Wei Sheng.

"In an aspect, Wei Sheng Ge did the right thing.

It is good that he chose another girl.

I don't know how to love him or how to respond to him when he showers me with love." Li Juan continued to blurt out.

"The feelings he has for me, was it love? Or was it just sympathy?

I don't know. I cannot differentiate between sympathy and love.

He took the right decision by parting his ways with someone like me.

After all, I was born with a lot of bad luck.

At least he will live in happiness and peace." Li Juan smiled bitterly. It was evident that she was in agony.

"Why do you think that you are born with bad luck?" Liang who was silently listening to her words suddenly questioned Li Juan.

"I don't know, everyone just told me that I am the one who brought bad luck in my family."

"Did your mom tell you that you are the one who brought bad luck to the family?"

"No." Li Juan answered quietly.

"Then why are you thinking like that?" Liang asked her with a raised voice.

"All the people around us, they like to talk about something. They like to poke their nose into someone else's matter.

Why are you concerned about their words? I don't think you are unlucky."

"I agree with Dr Liang. But the truth is that I am a human-made up of flesh and bones .my heart is not some rock or iron.

I do have feelings.

When I hear those words, it hurts. It hurts a lot.

I wish I could unhear all those things."

Li Juan's eyes appeared red due to drinking or maybe sadness?

"Li Juan, you can't be happy if you care about what others think about you." Liang tried to console her.

"No one is perfect in this world. Everyone has their own problems and imperfections to deal with.

My girlfriend whom you are getting jealous of, she is not even aware of the fact that I love her." Liang just blurted out.

"What? Your love is a one-way road?" Li Juan was shocked to hear his reply.

"We broke up." Liang declared with a straight face.

"Why?" Li Juan exclaimed.

"She had the same reasons, just like you. She believed that she is not qualified enough to love me."

"And you never tried to win her back?" Li Juan asked him sympathetically.

"I tried to respect her decision and stayed away from her and now she loves someone else." Liang's face remained aloof.

"And you still love her?" Li Juan asked him.

"Well, yes." Liang smiled melancholically. "She was my first love."

"Oh, Dr Liang, that must be heartbreaking for you. No wonder you appear so sad and sulky. Come here, let me console you."

Li Juan climbed on the table and slid in the direction of Liang with open arms.

Before Liang could dodge, Li Juan threw her arms over his shoulders and held him in a warm embrace.

"Don't worry everything will be alright." She whispered in his ears.

Liang felt like his cheeks were burning due to an unknown feeling.

Li Juan held her head in his shoulders and repeated that everything will be alright.

Was she saying that to him or herself?

Li Juan was already crossed her alcohol tolerance level. It was the alcohol that acting beside her.

Liang tried to move away from Li Juan's embrace. But somehow he felt hesitant to slide away from the warmth and softness of Li Juan's body.

He involuntarily let himself immerse in the warmth offered by her.

Liang gently hugged her back.

Li Juan slowly released Liang from her embrace and took his mobile and opened the video recorder.

"What are you doing?" Liang tried to snatch the phone from her.

"Hey, do you know how to sing?" Li Juan suddenly asked him and released her grip from mobile.

"Me? I don't know how to sing."

"You liar, I know all the people in your country are good singers."

"Li Juan, you are so spoiled." Liang chuckled.

"Do you think so?" Li Juan was completely turned into a tipsy person.

"You should get rest now. Get up," Liang tried to stand up. Li Juan immediately grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back to the seat.

"Can you sing me a song?"

"I've already told you I don't know how to sing."

"Don't lie, I know you sing well. Everyone in k country sings well."

"Well, that's not so true."

"Oh please, pretty please?" Li Juan asked him with pouted lips and widened eyes.

Ah, don't act so cute. Liang said in his mind. Why is she so cute?

"Sing me a song," Li Juan repeated her words again and again.

"Uffo, Li Juan, why don't you sing a song? I heard that everyone in your country sings so well." Liang refuted in the same manner.

"Do you want me to sing?" Li Juan asked him.

Liang nodded in agreement.

"Are you ready for it? Like really?"

"Of course, Try me."

"What should I sing it for you?" Li Juan pondered for some time. "There is a song which I like, should I sing it for you?" She asked with starry eyes.

"I will be honoured." Liang smiled.

Li Juan looked at his obsidian eyes filled with longing.

"I'll be on 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

Everything is going to be okay,

You're the most important person for me"

Li Juan looked at Liang, his face was lit with happiness and love.

"So are you saying that you will there for me?" Liang asked her in a husky voice.

"Hmm, after all, you are the one who saved me from death." Li Juan smiled in gratitude. "I will be always indebted to you."

"Hmm," Liang's expression changed into an unknown sorrow.

"Liang," Li Juan called his name.

"Do you believe me if say that I've seen you even before the day I met you in Xi city?"

"Have you seen me before," Liang was surprised. "Where?"

"In my dream,"

"In your dream?" He repeated her words.

"Hmm, in one of my dreams, you tried to kill me by shooting an arrow at me."

"No wonder you were so scared of me," Liang smirked.

"I was scared because you tried to kill me in real life and in my dream too, Why did you do that Liang?" Li Juan appeared vulnerable.

"I thought I tried to save you in real life and about the dream," Liang stopped for a moment.

"It is said that dreaming of your own death symbolizes inner changes, transformation, self-discovery and positive development that is happening within you or your life," Liang explained it for her.

"Are you saying that it is a new beginning in my life?"

"Hmm,"

"Should I forget everything and start new?" Li Juan asked for Liang's opinion.

"What do you think?"

"I wanted to start afresh, but I don't want to forget anything." Li Juan said with downcasted eyes.

"I am scared of oblivion more than anything in this world."

"Hey, it is getting late, Liang reminded her. Let's sleep."

"Yeah, we should sleep." Li Juan slid down from the table.

Liang put out the fire and went back to the cottage with Li Juan.

That night Li Juan had a dream,

She saw herself standing with a man in a riverbank in a starry night.

His face was not clear in the darkness, but the clothes he wore clearly depicted that they are in an ancient world.

"Senior Jin, whatever feelings you had for me, please forget-" even before she could complete her words the man, muted her by a kiss.

"Don't leave," he whispered in between the kisses. He was gaining more control over her. She tried to push him away from her.

"Promise me that you'll come back." He came closer to her and grabbed her slim waist.

"I can't," she said in low voice.

"I need you," He cupped her face and looked at her dark eyes.

A smile flashed in her beautiful lips and suddenly it was replaced with sorrow.

"No, you don't," she pushed his hands from her cheeks.

"You, arrogant warrior, take responsibility for me." He was annoyed.

"Senior brother, you must not joke"

"I am not joking, I liked you from the first moment I have seen you.

I want you. I want to spend my entire life with you… stay with me."

"I can't"

"Why?"

"I am not allowed to… she said in a low voice. I am pledged to protect my queen and my land. I am sorry."