Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

The night sky appeared pitch black with numerous rainclouds. The trees in the roadsides swayed as if it is signalling the wild storm which is raging inside the dark clouds. Within a moment it began to drizzle.

Li Juan looked at the pouring rain with hopelessness. She hated rainy nights. The cold and dark rainy nights will make her anxious and lonelier to an extent, where she needs to take medicines for calming her mind.

Whenever it is raining, her mood turns melancholic and her heartaches as if she lost something valuable.

During the day time, Li Juan will remain unbothered by worldly affairs- she doesn't care about relations and companionship. However, when night falls, she has to accept the harsh realities of her life. Without her parents, Li Juan is practically an orphan who got no one.

After a long day, when she returns to her silent and cold home, there is no one to welcome her with a warm smile or ask about how her day went.

It is heartbreaking.

Li Juan doesn't want to go home on this rainy night.

While waiting for the bus, the sky roared louder with thunder and lightning.

The night was getting dark and there was no one at the bus stop. Due to heavy rainstorm, everyone was rushing to their homes, making the taxis unavailable at the moment.

There is no point in waiting for the bus anymore.

Li Juan got up from her seat and started walking. There is a subway station in the next block.

It was raining, but she didn't care about getting wet.

She just needed to get home, before she becomes emotionally unstable.

While she was getting drenched, suddenly someone appeared in front of her with an umbrella.

Li Juan got immersed in her thoughts, she didn't realize that someone was standing in front of her.

" Li Juan," he called her name in a deep voice.

Li Juan woke up from the daze and amazed to see the man in front of her.

It was Dai Liang.

He was holding an umbrella and some grocery packets on the other hand.

"Dr Liang, why are you here?" Li Juan was left dumbstruck.

"Where did he come from?"

Is he still stalking/ keeping an eye on her?

" I came to visit my friend," Liang replied.

"No. I asked you why you are here, In this place?"

" I live there," Liang pointed towards the apartment building across the street." I came to buy some groceries and I saw walking in the rain."

"Oh actually I am, before Li Juan could complete her sentences," she sneezed.

"Where are you running without an umbrella? You will get cold."

Liang chided and moved closer to Li Juan. Both of them were standing under the same umbrella.

"Why are we talking in the rain?" Liang asked her, "I was planning to make hotpot today, do you care to join?"

"Dr Liang, can I take a rain check on that?" Li Juan asked him, she did not want to burden him anymore.

"If you insist," He didn't want to pester her either.

"I think I missed my last bus and if I stay any longer I might miss the subway too... or else I will have to call a cab." Li Juan fished out her mobile from her pocket, only to find that it is already dead.

"Are you okay, Li Juan?" Liang asked her.

Li Juan looked at him with confused eyes. "Dr Liang, actually I need to go home. I am not feeling good."

"Okay, I am not compelling you. At least let me drive you home."

Li Juan was about to refuse the offer.

"No. You can't refuse." He warned her before Li Juan could refuse his offer. "Come, let's get the keys from the apartment."

Anyway, she is going to be alone at home, so why don't she spent some time with someone.

Li Juan followed him without any hesitation.

Liang's apartment was well furnished and it had an interior design similar to that of the villa on the east sea island.

"I have seen people having multiple homes, but with different interiors. This is the first time, I am seeing someone having the same style for every house he owns.

Did you buy this apartment for her?" Li Juan's immediate doubt regarding the apartment was that it might be a gift for his ex-girlfriend.

"You are such an adamant person, Dr Liang!"

Liang chuckled and poured her a glass of hot water.

"Look who is talking?" Liang remarked.

"I ...told you that," Li Juan said in a low voice. "It is already over."

"That I can see." Liang scanned her flustered face. Li Juan remained silent.

She knew that Liang could understand her feelings more than any other person in this whole world- Since he went through a similar situation as hers.

"It is, he asked me to marry him." Li Juan confessed.

"Huh?" Liang was startled, "And?"

"It was the most anticipated question of my life." Li Juan continued with a bitter smile, "But I was unable to give him a proper answer."

"Even though I have feelings for him, I couldn't say yes." Li Juan said downcasted eyes.

"Why do you think that it is difficult to answer him?"

Li Juan remained silent. She was hesitant to say what was Tang Wei Sheng's decision and his intension.

Looking at Li Juan's dispirited face, Liang didn't want to pester her, so he left her alone for a moment.

He went to his bedroom and brought a towel for Li Juan.

"Dry your hair, or else you will end up getting cold." Liang handed over the towel and reminded her.

"Thanks, Dr Liang." Li Juan took the towel from him.

"I can lend you some clothes if you want?"

Liang was trying to avoid looking at the wet clothes sticking to her body, accentuating her perfect curves.

"Don't tell me that you have stocked clothes for your girlfriend?" Li Juan said with a surprised voice.

"Hahaha." Liang chuckled. "No, even if I have a good fortune. I don't think that I should waste money like that.

this is the place where my brother often visits. I don't want him to have some misconceptions about his well-mannered brother."

"Do you have a brother?"

"Yes. A younger brother." Liang replied with a smile.

"Oh, what is he doing?"

"He is a university student. So should I bring you something to change?" Liang repeated his question.

"Dr Liang, do you mind if I stayed here for this night?" Li Juan suddenly asked him.

"Why not?" Liang was cool with Li Juan staying at his apartment. Afterall they spent almost a week together in East sea island.

"What if your brother comes and sees me here?" Li Juan said with a witty grin on her face. "What if he misunderstands his well-mannered brother?"

"I will tell him that you are my patient."

"Haha, You are not even a doctor." Li Juan retorted back. seems like her mood has improved a little bit.

"Then why are you calling me a doctor?" Liang was also not ready to give up.

"Okay, my fault Mr Liang." She immediately corrected her words.

"Ha Ha wait, I'll get you something to wear." Liang went to his room and came back with a fresh pair of pyjamas.

"Take a shower and put your clothes in the drier." He casually instructed her and pointed towards the guest room.

"Thanks for letting me stay here Mr.Liang." Li Juan thanked him and went to the guest room.

When Li Juan came out of the bathroom, she heard the sounds of utensils moving in the kitchen.

He must be cooking.

She walked towards the closet and looked herself in the mirror. The hot water bath made her skin look refreshed and delicate.

Li Juan took the hairdryer kept in the mirror side table and dried her hair.

The sleeves of oversized pyjamas added a cosy and casual look for her slender body. Li Juan roughly folded the sleeves. It was big for her, but it was also comfortable.

When Li Juan came out from the room, the whole place was filled with the aroma of food. Li Juan felt like her stomach started growling with smelling the aroma.

"Mr Liang," she called Liang. He was busy preparing the ingredients for the hotpot.

"Do you need any help?" Li Juan asked him.

"No. Just sit back," Liang told her while putting the beef slices into the hotpot soup.

He was just making a hotpot, but the way he stirs the soup and handling the utensils made him look like a pro.

Li Juan didn't go to the living room, instead of that she climbed to the cooking counter and sat there.

"Are you going to sit here?" Liang asked her.

"Yes, I am going to sit back and watch you cook," Chef. Liang.

"Ha, from Dr Liang to Chef Liang, that's quite weird." Liang chuckled upon hearing her appreciation.

"It is because you never told me anything about you, apart from your name." Li Juan pouted and said in a sulky voice.

"It is not fair Mr Liang, you know almost everything about me and I know anything about you."

"Are you that much interested in listening to stories?" Liang asked her with curious eyes.

"Yes. I am totally interested to know about you."

"Okay, If you are that interested, I will tell you."

Li Juan adjusted her position and sat ready to hear Liang's story.

"I was born in Soul city. But when I was three years old, my family moved to C country. I studied here till my high school and"

Suddenly his phone rang and it interrupted their conversation.

"It is an important call, can you keep an eye on this?" He lowered the flame and went to the balcony to attend the phone call.

Li Juan went towards the stove and checked the hotpot broth. Li Juan looked around, everything in the kitchen was arranged perfectly, nothing was out of it its place.

While examining the kitchen cabinets, Li Juan's eyes got stuck at the pictures on the refrigerator's door clipped by magnets.

Li Juan walked closer and examined the pictures.

By the colours of pictures, she could figure out that these pictures were indeed old.

In the first picture, there were two boys; the elder one was around seven years old and the younger one was in the age where he started walking. Both of them looked incredibly cute.

The elder boy's smile resembled Liang. It must be his childhood photo.

In the other photo, a beautiful woman in her fifties was carrying a newborn baby.

The small baby in the photo had a darker skin tone and sparkling eyes.

That photo surprised Li Juan.

The baby looked familiar.

The last picture was a group of students wearing a white lab coat and stethoscope.

She saw Liang in the group smiling cheerfully with the rest of the people.

He is a doctor.

Li Juan's eyes got widened. God, he is a doctor!!!

But Liang said that he is not a doctor.

Whenever she called him doctor, he used to correct her.

Did he lie? Li Juan looked at his smiling face in doubt.

Why everyone in her life decides to lie to her?

Or is it her fault that she believes others easily and fails to recognise people's real intentions.

And most importantly,

Why the people in her life turns out to be two-faced?