Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

Li Juan was standing quietly on the deck of the Yacht. From the island, they've got into the yacht this very morning. She never knew how much time has passed while she was looking at the waves in the sea.

Liang was talking with the captain.

He didn't want to disturb, Li Juan for a while. She needed some time to cope up with her feelings since she is leaving to Jing city.

After some time, Liang came looking for Li Juan with some snacks and fruit juices.

Li Juan was sitting in the deck, facing the deep blue waters.

"Enjoying the sceneries?" Liang asked her.

Li Juan looked at him and smiled while sliding back her hairs into the other side of her face. She was wearing a blue floral long dress which is designed, for the spring season. The "V" neck of the dress showed her perfect collar bones and a diamond sun-shaped pendant hanging in her neck.

Li Juan seemed simple, yet gorgeous.

Liang sat beside her and handed over the fruit juice. He noticed that Li Juan's hands were cold.

"It is still snowing in the Xi city, are you sure that you don't need a jacket?"

"I forgot to wear one." Li Juan said embarrassingly.

Liang removed the jacket he was wearing.

"No Dr Liang, I am okay." Li Juan refused him but, Liang placed his jacket, over her shoulders.

"Eh, thank you."

"Do you have a girlfriend, Dr Liang?" Li Juan asked while sipping the juice. Liang got taken aback for a moment. Did she forget the chat they had yesterday? She even consoled him.

Li Juan was waiting for his answer, but he looked lost in thoughts.

"Men who have girlfriends have experienced these kinds of situations, like lending jackets and drinks." Li Juan helped herself with the answer.

"Ah, Lee Tae Min told me that you have a habit of forgetting Jackets." Liang reminded her.

"I wanted to disagree, but that is the ultimate truth. I am a bit clumsier when it comes to clothing." Li Juan suddenly stopped talking.

"I forgot to ask, do you know Tae Min before?"

"How do you I know him?" Liang looked at Li Juan in surprise.

"Well, I have seen you with Lee Tae Min."

"Ah I forgot, you guys are not from the same country." Li Juan blurted out.

"Huh? Even if we are from the same country, are we supposed to know each other?" Liang asked Li Juan.

Jeez, how messed up is her mind to ask a question like this?

"Ah, what kind of stupid question that I've asked you. Sorry, just erase it from your memory." Li Juan shook her head in embarrassment.

"Haha, it is good to see the dumb version of genius Li Juan." Liang teased her.

"Oh please, I am sick of people calling me a genius." Li Juan refuted in an annoyed voice. "I am just an ordinary person who worked hard to get good grades."

"Okay, then let me acknowledge you as a diligent person." Liang smiled.

"Lee Tae Min's family is famous in the real estate and construction field. So I thought, even if you don't know him personally, you might've heard about his family."

"Well, I know his brother," Liang admitted.

"Do you know him?" Li Juan's eyes widened in surprise. "So you are from the South?"

"Yes." Liang nodded.

"But you told me?" She looked at him with doubting eyes.

"What did I tell you?"

"My fault again," Li Juan misunderstood Liang as a refugee from the North K country.

"Ah, you didn't answer my question, do you have a girlfriend?" She tried to change the topic.

"I had one." Liang casually told her.

"You had a girlfriend! not anymore?" Li Juan was curious. Within these days spent with Liang, she realised that he a complete boyfriend material and committed to his girlfriend.

But she never thought Liang has already broken up with his girlfriend.

"Well, I am still not over her," Liang said the truth. He still harboured feelings for his first love.

"Then why don't you guys get back together?"

"I don't think it is possible anymore."

"Why?"

"She fell in love with someone else."

"Oh." Li Juan remained silent, she didn't have anything to add more. Like her, Liang also hung upon someone who has never meant for him.

"She was my childhood friend, first love to be exact." Liang smiled.

"We are alike, Dr Liang." We are harbouring feelings for someone who has never meant for him.

"For me, I have always expected that things will turn out like this.

But you, I am not being materialistic, but you have built a dream home for your girlfriend and waited for her." Li Juan shared her thoughts.

"It doesn't make sense, why she chooses to be with someone else?"

"I believed that one day she will come back and we will get a chance to be with each other. On that belief, I did everything." Liang smiled bitterly.

"But It is okay if she chooses to be with that guy, I only wanted to see her happy. She deserves that.

As long as that person keeps her happy, I am at peace.

And about that villa, it was supposed to be a gift for her. I don't mind if it turns out to be a wedding gift."

"I can understand your feelings." Li Juan agreed with him.

"I am no one to lecture you. But Dr Liang, you have to let her go.

You are still young and have a lifetime ahead." Li Juan tried to advise him.

"Look who is talking? You fifty-year-old grandma, what are you going to do?" Liang asked her jokingly.

She was crying over Tang Wei Sheng all day and now she is lecturing him.

Li Juan burst into laughter when she heard him referring as a fifty-year-old grandmother.

"I am only 25 years old." Li Juan pouted.

"Miss Li, you are young and you too have a lifetime ahead."

The radiating smile in Li Juan's face slowly faded.

"I already forgot him. For the past few years, I have been preparing myself to face this situation.

I was expecting all these and since I am well prepared, it didn't affect me that much." Li Juan said with fake confidence.

But her big black eyes held the pain and rejection.

"Breakups, it happens with everyone. But you are an adult and you shouldn't worry about it for a very long time." Liang reminded her.

"What about you? Are you going to forget that girl?"

"To be honest, I can't do that Li Juan. Whatever feelings I held for her in my heart, I can't give up on that. If she treats me as a friend, I will always remain as a loyal friend. Someone she can always rely upon." Liang confessed his true intentions.

"Whenever she needs me, I have to be with her."

Li Juan didn't say anything to refute him. She gently touched his back of his palm and consoled him.

"She will be happy to have a person like you in her life." Li Juan said to him.

Does she have a person like that in her life?

The moment Li Juan landed on the port in Xi city, the first thing that captured her eyes was the linear silhouette of Lee Tae Min. She felt her heart got filled with warmth.

Lee Tae Min was leaning to a black range rover. With his black trench coat and sunglasses, He looked like a mafia boss. Li Juan ran towards him and hugged him. Her eyes were teary and she couldn't hold back herself.

"Noona!!!" Lee Tae Min was startled for a moment. "It is alright, I'm here. Please don't cry." He consoled Li Juan and patted her back.

Liang was stunned to witness the bond between Li Juan and Lee Tae Min. He walked towards them with a smile.

Upon seeing a stranger walking towards them Lee Tae Min and released Li Juan from his arms.

"You must be Lee Tae Min," Liang extended his arm for a shake hand.

"Yes, nice to meet you, Mr Liang. I should thank you for taking care of her."

"No mention."

"Noona why don't you say something?" Li Juan wiped her eyes with her palms and tried to smile.

"I am sorry Dr Liang, I was just happy to see him. Please don't mind."

"Hey, it's okay. After all, you guys are meeting each other after a week."

"Dr Liang, I don't know how to thank you for your help.

If you weren't there I would have been dead by now. Thank you so much for everything you have done for me." Li Juan sincerely expressed her gratitude.

"Whenever you visit the capital city let's meet up." Li Juan tried to appear more friendly.

"So are you telling me that you don't want me to accompany you to the capital city?" Liang asked for her confirmation.

"Why should you go through all the trouble? Tae Min is here and I will be alright." Li Juan assured him.

"Okay then, bye until sees you again." Liang held her hand and gave her a firm and warm handshake.

"Bye. You must be ready to confess all your details, next time we meet."

"So this is not our last goodbye?" Laing asked her.

"Of course not, Let's meet again." Li Juan suggested.

"Sure thing." Liang agreed to her. "Have a happy journey."

"Are you going back to Soul city today itself?" Li Juan asked Liang.

"Yeah, my flight is in the evening. What about you?" Liang looked at Lee Tae Min.

"Our flight is around 2 pm."

"Oh, then you must leave now,"

Liang suggested and parted their ways.

On the way to the airport, Li Juan remained silent. Actually, she was thinking about how to explain the incidents happened in Xi city to Lee Tae Min.

"You never mentioned that you have a friend in Xi city?" Lee Tae Min suddenly asked. He doesn't seem like your classmate.

"He, He is a senior from high school." Li Juan lied to him. She doesn't know how to explain their relationship. Actually, they were just acquaintance.

"Tae Minah," Li Juan hesitated for a moment. "Do you know what happened to me in Xi city?"

"Your friend told me that some bad guys tried to hurt you." Lee Tae Min replied with his eyes on the road.

Li Juan sighed in relief.

It seems like Liang purposefully avoided the fact that she was nearly killed.

"That's why I told you to not go alone." Lee Tae Min started to chide her.

"All of us were worried when you suddenly disappeared like that.

What about the map?" Lee Tae Min suddenly asked her.

"It is with me."

"We are having a final briefing about our research before investors. Professor was going crazy because you weren't replying to his messages."

"I am sorry Tae Minah, I am sorry for making you all worry."

"Why did you refuse to return with CEO Tang?"

"CEO Tang was summoned back to Jing city one day before our scheduled departure and I still had some work left in Xi city."

"Well, we cannot blame CEO Tang at this moment.

Noona, something was going around in Tang corporation. Did you hear about CEO Tang's engagement?"

"Yes." Li Juan replied with a grim expression.

"CEO Tang was secretly dating an actress and some paparazzi found about it. There was a huge uproar in social media. Ning Jing's fans and haters were having an online war while the board members of Tang Corporations had their own clashes regarding the idea their CEO being in a scandal with a celebrity.

They've experienced some loss in shares and all. Finally, Chairman Tang held a press meeting and announced their wedding." Lee Tae Min narrated all the events happened while Li Juan was away.

"What about Wei Sheng Ge?" Li Juan was curious. "What did he tell?"

"CEO Tang didn't give any clarification; why would he clarify? It is his private matter and why do others butt in." Lee Tae Min was a little bit annoyed by how people like to poke their noses in other peoples life.

"And Ning Jing, she is also from an elite family. Maybe, he would have thought about her family too.

Anyway, the official notification was given by both of their grandfathers.

However, since chairman Tang has announced the marriage everything is going back to normal."

Li Juan was in confusion.

Her missing and the further actions by Wei Sheng don't seem right.

Even though she acted all tough before Liang about Tang Wei Sheng's marriage. Deep in her Li Juan had a beam of hope that Tang Wei Sheng will not abandon her.

Does she ever have a chance to marry Tang Wei Sheng despite all these problems?