Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

Next day when Ning Jing came to the hotel where the expedition team stayed, everyone was busy with medical check-ups. The banquet hall of the hotel has changed into a temporary medical camp. Almost everyone in the expedition was getting their fitness tests done. 

Ning Jing saw Han Guang and Li Juan in an empty corner busy with discussing something on Laptop. She walked towards them, leaving her assistant behind.

"Good morning Professor Han," Ning Jing greeted.

"Good morning miss," Han Guang replied with a pleasant smile.

"You look excited, Professor Han, is there any good news?" 

"Of course, miss Ning, our ten years of hard work is going to pay off and how can I remain calm?"

"Did CEO Tang go with the team for checking the air route?"

"Yes Miss, They took off just half an hour ago."

"I think he was too excited to go for the site check, that he forgot me at home." Ning Jing said jokingly.

"I guess everyone is like that," Han Guang laughed and pointed at Li Juan. " Look at Li Juan, she is too excited about the trip that she is unable to fall asleep."

"Oh Li Juan, you must take care of your health, what if you fall sick at the last minute? Ning Jing sounded as if she is concerned about Li Juan. "How about taking one or two sleeping pills-"

"or a bottle, so that you can sleep forever?" Ning Jing wanted to tell Li Juan, but she swallowed her words and kept quiet.

" I am alright miss Ning, I was able to sleep yesterday."

Of course, you would have slept nicely, it was me who lost sleep due to you. Ning said in her mind.

"Anyway, please feel free to tell us if you find any difficulties, Miss Ning. It is the first time that we are having three women in the team, we will make sure to protect you from the wilderness." Han Guang assured her.

"I am not afraid of the wilderness or the animals, Professor Han. The only thing which scares is "the people." Ning Jing stopped for a moment and glanced at Li Juan. "Especially, the one who betrays the people who believed them."

"Yes, they are the most dangerous people." Han Guang agreed.

"Wolf in the sheep's coat! What will you do if you find someone in your team? Someone who always remained closer to you acted innocent and betrayed you? Ning Jing asked with a straight face.

"If such a person exists, then they will no longer be part of my team." Han Guang said with determination.

"Even if it is one of your assistants?"

"I am a man who values my words, Miss Ning. Even if they are my assistants, the one who betrayed us will be no longer part of my team." Han Guang repeated his lines in a firm tone.

"Haven't you heard the saying, "it is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend?"

Ning Jing smiled in triumph and took out an envelope from her bag.

"I believe that professor Han Guang is a man who values his words." She handed over the envelope to Han Guang. 

Han Guang looked at Ning Jing in confusion and opened the envelope.

The moment he saw what is inside, the smile on his face vanished and replaced with shock.

"This is," He looked at Ning Jing's face and handed over the photographs to Li Juan with trembling hands. 

Li Juan took a look at the photographs and her face went pale as if she saw a ghost. 

It was her photographs with Tang Wei Sheng.

It is over now! 

The photographs slipped down from Li Juan's trembling hands. 

Professor!!!! Li Juan called Han Guang in guilty.

"Professor Han, I know Miss Li is your favourite assistant. 

I never wanted to make a wedge in your precious master-discipline relation. But forgiving a friend who betrayed you and your ten years worth hard work must be difficult for you." Ning Jing used Han Guang's words against him.

"All I want is justice,"

Han Guang remained petrified as he listened to Ning Jing's words.

He never expected such a scandalous act from Li Juan. She is having an affair with their investor who is also an engaged man. 

"Professor," Li Juan tried to kneel in front of them. "I...am..."

"Juan!!!"Han Guang stopped her." What are you doing, there are people." Though others in the hall room cannot hear their conversation, they can see everything.

"Miss Ning, please excuse us." Han Guang held Li Juan's arm.

"Oh, sure! I hope you will take the appropriate decision." Ning Jing straightened her back and turned to walk away from them.

"Li Juan," Ning Jing stopped and called Li Juan's name. "I usually don't go easy on people, but you are an exception. You are a wise person and yet, you have wronged me. I promise that I don't hold any grudges. But I don't sit back if someone tries to steal what is lawfully mine. I hope you will understand that." 

Ning Jing warned Li Juan and walked towards her assistant.

Han Guang held Li Juan's arm and pulled her towards the lawn near the banquet hall.

"Why Juan?" Han Guang, stood opposite to Li Juan who remained with a guilty expression. "You used to be with me from the beginning, you knew how difficult it was for us to reach till here and still," Han Guang didn't complete his words.

"Professor, I...I made a mistake."

"Juan, I am not interested in your personal life. But this thing affects all of us. You knew he is our investor and"- Han Guang stopped for a moment. 

"I'm disappointed in you, Li Juan."

"Professor, it is true that we loved- I loved him, but not anymore. The moment he got engaged, it is over between us." Li Juan tried to explain.

"Do you think that woman will believe what you have said? She sees you as a homewrecker, a potential threat to her life." Han Guang tried to cross-examine Ning Jing's words. 

"Didn't you see how smoothly she talked and trapped us? She said that she doesn't hold grudges, but did you saw the threat hidden under her words?"

Li Juan remained silent.

Han Guang held Li Juan's shoulders and tried to console her. 

"They are powerful people and it is easy for them to make our lives miserable. She is a cunning woman who perfectly schemed all of this so that, I've left with any other option." Han Guang somehow wanted to help Li Juan about this issue. After all, Li Juan is his assistant and an inevitable part of the expedition team.

"I will talk to her and try to solve it without involving anyone else." 

Even though he has no idea how to solve the issue, Han Guang assured Li Juan.

"Professor, please don't do that," Li Juan stopped him.

"What?" Han Guang looked at her in shock. 

"Loving him was the greatest mistake of my life and I deserved to be punished,"

"Li Juan," Han Guang called her in name in confusion. You said it is over between-

"I will leave." Li Juan interrupted him and declared.

"Huh?" 

"I will leave," Li Juan repeated her words.

"YAAAAAAA", Han Guang yelled at her, "Do you know how stupid you just sounded now?" He let out a sneer.

"Who are you?" 

Li Juan looked at him in confusion.

"You are a research scholar working under me and who is she? She is here on someone else's recommendation. This is my team and I am the one who makes decisions. So for God's sake, keep your personal life out of this."

"Professor, but you said that," Li Juan tried to explain.

"Li Juan, this is your dream." Han Guang reminded her.

"More than any of us, you were the one who was excited about this expedition.

You used to say that, the sole purpose of your life is to find the lost kingdom of the Yu clan." Han Guang tried to shove some sense to Li Juan who is acting like a crackhead.

"It is not just my dream professor. It was your dream too," Li Juan said with guilty filled eyes.

"I don't want your hard works to get ruined because of me."

" None of our work is going to be ruined, I've already told you, I will take care of it," Han Guang tried to cheer up Li Juan.

"I am sorry for blaming you on the heat of the situation. You are my student, you are my family, If I don't believe you, then what is the point of being your teacher?"

Han Guang said with a smile.

"So, get back to your work and I will handle the rest of the things. Or take a break for a while."

Han Guang patted Li Juan's hair and went back to the banquet hall.

Li Juan decided to stay back for a while. She walked towards the garden and looked at the blooming flowers. 

"Finally, it happened, I am a homewrecker now." Li Juan said to the blooming flowers. Whenever Li Juan feels like she needs to let out the suffocating emotions on her mind, she always talks to plants. Somehow it puts her mind at peace.

"I was expecting this, how long I can hide that we used to"- Suddenly A yellow orchid flower caught her attention. The big and bright flower reminded her of Liang. It was the same variety of orchid which Li Juan gifted Liang to commemorate their newly found friendship. She didn't hear him from after that day. Is he busy?

Last time when she struggled to make a decision, he was the one who helped her.

He advised her to be brave and try to live without any regrets.

Surprisingly the Queen in her dreams said the same.

"Be brave, be bold enough to stand up for herself, to speak for herself." She promised the Queen, that she will stay true to herself.

Then why is she hesitating now?

Why is she allowing others to step on her?

As Han Guang said, she is Li Juan, a researcher working on her project.

Why would she listen to someone who got no authority over the research project?

How long she will depend on others?

The one who can help Li Juan is no one else but she herself.

Enough is enough.

It is time to stand up and speak for herself.