Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

Next day,

Li Juan woke up from sleep with a light heart, however, the atmosphere was still cold and appeared grey with dark clouds. The sky was getting ready for another storm. Li Juan looked at the digital clock kept aside the bed.

It was half-past ten in the morning.

God, she is late.

She immediately jumped from the bed and ran towards the bathroom to get ready.

After quickly freshened up, Li Juan walked out of the room and searched for Liang.

Where is he? Is he also asleep?

"Dr Liang," Li Juan walked towards his room and knocked.

No one replied.

"Did he go outside?" Li Juan was confused. How can she leave without letting him know?

Suddenly, the grumbling sound of a treadmill heard from the other room.

"Dr Liang," Li Juan knocked at the door and still no reply. She grabbed the doorknob and tried to open the door.

Click! The door opened and Li Juan got welcomed by the sight of a running man on the treadmill.

Liang's perfectly toned, pale back with a coiled dragon tattoo popped up before her. The red and black tattoo in his pale skin appeared highly contrasting to each other.

For a moment, Li Juan couldn't believe the sight in front of her eyes.

He got a tattoo, isn't it a taboo in K country? Li Juan was confused.

"Dr Liang," Li Juan called him and walked towards him.

Liang who has finished his exercise removed the wireless earbuds and stopped the treadmill.

"Liang,"

Upon hearing Li Juan's voice, he turned back to face her.

Li Juan felt a flash of lightning struck her.

His perfectly sculptured upper body with chocolate abs was a torture for her eyes.

Bless my eyes!!! But the thing which caught Li Juan's attention was his tattoos.

On his pale and strong pectoral muscle, a tattoo of an anchor with a wheel was tattooed.

How many tattoos does he have?

Liang looked at Li Juan who stood there with an astounded expression on her face.

"Li Juan" he called her while wiping the sweat beads from his forehead.

"Are you allowed to get a tattoo in K country?" It was Li Juan's first question.

"Yes," Liang said with a smile, "but the social stigma is still there, at least among the elderly people."

In some of the countries getting a tattoo was considered unacceptable by society. The people with tattoos are misinterpreted as "criminals " and "sinners".

"Are you interested in getting a tattoo?"

"Hmm..." Li Juan nodded.

"Really?" Liang was surprised by her reply. In olden days, a woman having a tattoo on her body was considered ugly in C country. Though the times have changed and young people in C country became more receptive towards tattooing and body piercings, but the women and older generation hold a more conservative attitude towards it.

"I have always wanted to get a tattoo." Li Juan appeared interested to know more. "Where did you get this?"

"My friend is a tattoo artist."

"But it is a dragon." Li Juan exclaimed. Dragon tattoos are common among the gangsters and mafia.

"It is not just a dragon". Liang clarified. "It is an ouroboros dragon."

Yes, Li Juan knew the ouroboros symbol- a circular symbol of a snake, rarely a dragon swallowing its tail. It symbolises wholeness and infinity.

Li Juan smiled and pointed towards the Anchor and Wheel tattoo on his chest. "What about this?"

"A ship anchor and wheel symbolise a constant change of direction in life and hope for stability," Liang explained it to her.

"It suggests that the person with the tattoo is in control but is still searching for where they would like to drop and settle down."

"Liang, It is beautiful." Li Juan was all praise and smiles.

"Me or My tattoo?" Liang tried to throw a low-key flirty question towards the girl whose eyes were stuck on his body.

"Both." Li Juan answered with a chuckle and Liang joined with her.

"It is truly amazing. I love it"

Ah, Li Juan, your friend called earlier, since you were sleeping I took the call." Liang said with an apologetic face. "It was ringing for a few times."

"Huh, who called?" Li Juan was startled for a moment.

"It was Cheng Tao."

"What did he say?"

"I said you are sleeping. I even asked whether I should wake you up or not. He asked me to let you sleep more."

"Huh???"

"He said that they are going to meet the supervisor." Liang conveyed Cheng Tao's message to her. "Why don't you call him and ask?"

Li Juan quickly searched for her mobile phone in the pockets.

"Your phone is on the dining table." Liang pointed towards the living room.

"Okay," Li Juan immediately rushed outside to grab her phone and Liang followed her.

Her phone was on the dining table like the way she left it last night.

Li Juan took the phone and immediately dialled Lee Tae Min.

"Tae Minah, where are you?"

"I am with Professor. How are you feeling now? Senior Cheng said that you are sick."

Sick? Li Juan was confused for a moment. When did she fall sick?

"I am, I am alright."

"You better be alright, Lily" Li Juan heard Cheng Tao's suppressed laugh from the other side.

"Rest well Noona, you don't have to worry, we can handle this." Lee Tae Min assured her.

"Aigooo, there is someone to take care of her, Tae Minah you no longer have to worry about Noona, Noona got her Oppa."

"Senior Cheng," Li Juan tried to explain. She was scared that Cheng Tao must have misunderstood Liang when he answered her phone in the early morning.

"Lily, we are in the middle of the meeting, will call you later."

"Okay."

"Ah next time, Bring your Oppa too."

"Senior Cheng, he is not my"

Before Li Juan could complete her words, Cheng Tao ended the phone call.

Aiiisshhhh.

"What happened?" Liang who came out from the kitchen with the toast and coffee, sat beside her asked in concern

"Ah, it is nothing. they asked me to take rest." Li Juan replied.

"Good. You need some rest though," Liang looked at Li Juan's puffy eyes.

Li Juan touched her face, "is it obvious that she didn't sleep well?"

The last night was crucial for her. She needed to give a proper answer to Tang Wei Sheng's proposal.

After contemplating her future, Li Juan finally came to a decision.

She must talk to Tang Wei Sheng about each and everything and needs to clarify if there are any misunderstandings.

"I will go and take a shower," Liang informed.

"Take your time."

"I was planning to go out for brunch, so I didn't cook anything heavy," Liang moved the sandwich and coffee towards Li Juan.

"No, it is fine." Li Juan accepted the plate and took a toast from it.

When Liang came back after a shower, Li Juan was all ready to leave the apartment. Both of them went to a nearby restaurant to have brunch.

While eating Li Juan appeared lost in thoughts.

"Are you okay, Li Juan?" Liang who noticed her sudden mood swings asked in concern.

"Dr Liang, I am going to a tattoo."

"Huh?" Liang was surprised. "Why suddenly? Is it because of me?"

"Yes, you are also a reason. But I've always wanted to get a tattoo, but I was scared of what others will think about me." Li Juan looked at Liang and smiled confidently.

"I think it is time for me to stop thinking about others and do what makes me happy."

Liang looked at Li Juan's smiling face. Even though her face looked tired, her big black eyes were dazzling in happiness.

She appeared lost and heartbroken yesterday and appears radiant and gleaming on today. What actually happened to her?

"When do you want to get a tattoo?" Since he didn't want to change her mood, Liang decided to stick to Li Juan's words.

"Can I get it today?" Li Juan was excited about the tattoo.

"Why not? Let's get it today." Liang assured her.

After the meal, Liang took her to the topmost tattoo artist in the Jing city. The moment Liang entered into the tattoo studio, the staff immediately recognised him and informed their boss.

Within a few minutes, a bulky man with ear piercings appeared and fist-bumped with Liang.

"Dude, long time no see."

"How are you, bro?"

"As you can see, I am alive and kicking." Ren's eyes fell on Li Juan who stood beside Liang."Huh, who is this pretty lady?"

"This is Li Juan, my friend." Liang introduced her.

"Li Juan!" there was a surprise in Ren's eyes. "I am Ren."

"Nice to meet you." Li Juan slightly bowed her head.

"Haha drop the formalities, His friend is also my friend," Ren said while grinning.

"So what bring yourselves to me?"

"Li Juan wants a tattoo." Liang notified the reason of their arrival.

"That's cool."

"I saw Liang's tattoos and it was amazing." Li Juan praised him.

"I am glad that you liked it," Ren observed Li Juan top to bottom and continued.

"So have you decided to break the stigma of getting a tattoo?"

"From a long time."

"Cool, let's go ahead then."

Three of them walked towards the well equipped main studio.

The moment they sit down Ren has turned into a professional artist.

"So do you have any idea about what kind of tattoo you want?" Ren asked about Li Juan's interests.

"I want a phoenix and a compass." Li Juan replied in a determined voice.

"Huh? that was quick," Ren replied with a shocked expression. 

"I actually have some pictures which you can use as a reference."Li Juan took her phone and opened the gallery to show the pictures.

It was a hand-drawn picture of a rising phoenix from flames. Even though it was just a rough sketch it oozed elegance and beauty.

"It looks too good, did you draw it?" Ren asked Li Juan.

"I just scribbled something." Li Juan replied sheepishly.

"If this is just a scribble, then I am wondering what will be an actual artwork of yours."

"You are flattering me. this is the next one." Li Juan showed the next picture.

It was a picture a Compass with four needles pointing towards four elemental symbols of nature.

"Isn't it same as Zhang Zhi Jun's tattoo?" Ren asked Li Juan.

When Zhang Zhi Jun revealed his tattoos in public and his "compass tattoo with each needle leading to lunar phases" became a huge trend across the younger generation.

"Zhang Zhi Jun has moon phases." Li Juan cleared her part. "mine is elements."

" thought you are a fan of a Zhang Zhi Jun? never mind, so where do you want to get it?" Ren asked her.

Li Juan removed the boho bracelet she wore on her wrist.

There was a scar on her wrist.

"The compass, can you do it here?"

"Are you sure Li Juan?" Liang who sat beside her mumbled in her ears.

"I wanted to change my scars into something beautiful."

"Hmmm.."

"What about the phoenix?" Ren asked her.

"Under the collar bone," Li Juan said in a calm tone.

"Li Juan, it is a newly healed wound, are you sure want to do it there?" Liang was more worried than Li Juan.

"Will that be a problem?" She asked the tattoo artists.

"It will hurt a little."

"I had worse, so it won't be a problem" Li Juan smirked.

"If you are okay with it, then we can go ahead." Liang stood up from his seat.

"I will wait outside."

The moment he turned to leave, Li Juan grabbed Liang's wrist and stopped with worried eyes.

"Liang, can you stay with me?"

"Yes," Liang sat beside her with a smile.

While tattooing, Li Juan's eyes appeared moist and turned teary.

"Is it hurting?" Liang asked her.

"No, It is just happy tears."

He smiled and pressed the slender palm in his palm.

"Do you know, what is the meaning of the phoenix?" Li Juan suddenly asked him.

"Isn't it Rebirth?"

"Yes, but for me, it represents something else."

Liang looked at her with curious eyes.

"It reminds me of someone I have been searching for ages." Li Juan said with a longing expression.

"Who?"

"Do you ever had any recurring dreams, Liang?" Li Juan asked him. Liang moved his head in denial.

"I have been seeing recurring dreams for the last eight years. In that dream, a lady with a phoenix symbol always asked me to save her. The Phoenix reminds me of her". Li Juan stopped for a moment. "I don't know if will be able to find about her, so I just wanted to keep this tattoo as a remembrance of her."

"And The compass?" Liang couldn't control but not to ask her.

"I don't know about it, but in one of my dreams, I saw myself promising someone that, I will search everywhere until I find the person."Li Juan said with longing eyes.

"I hope this compass leads you to that person." Ren who was silent till the moment finally opened his mouth and replied to Li Juan. Though Ren said like this, Li Juan's brain comprehended something like

" I hope this compass leads you to your happiness"