Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

Next day, 

Lee Tae Min looked out the glass window of the bus with a longing expression. The expedition team were travelling to the foothills of Tu mountain range. The path leading to the Tu mountain valley is filled with various flowering trees. He remembered the day when Li Juan went to Xi city for the first time and shared her happiness of watching the floral blossoms all across the path. He took his phone and tried to call Li Juan once again, 

"The number you have dialled is not in service."

Yesterday Lee Tae Min tried to contact Li Juan till midnight, but she didn't pick up the call. However he somehow expected that Tang Wei Sheng will bring back Li Juan, but to his horror, Tang Wei Sheng came back alone. He successfully stopped Li Juan from returning to Jing city, but she refused to join the team. Tang Wei Sheng assured him that Li Juan won't go to Jing city and remain with his manager's family.

In a new city with new people, is she going to be okay?

Tang Wei Sheng noticed Lee Tae Min's worried face. He stood from his seat and sat next to Lee Tae Min.

"Don't worry about Li Juan, she is in safe hands." Tang Wei Sheng reassured him.

"Hmm, thank you." Lee Tae Min said with a faint smile. Thank you for yesterday too.

It was Tang Wei Sheng who took care of Lee Tae Min who had severe motion sickness while they went check the air route. He always thought Tang Wei Sheng as an arrogant, pompous and sleazy person who pretends to be nice- an archnemesis, to be precise. But when he fell sick, Tang Wei Sheng was the first one to help Lee Tae Min and it surprised him. Tang Wei Sheng's behaviour was different than what he expected, Tang Wei Sheng was caring and compassionate like his own brother.

" I am sorry for calling you "Brother", Lee Tae Min apologised, after all, Tang Wei Sheng is still their boss.

" Well, I don't mind if you call me brother, you are just a few years younger than me."

"Don't think that we got closer." Lee Tae Min warned him. "I still hate you,"

"I didn't expect you to change your behaviour overnight."

"My hatred towards you won't change until you stop chasing after Juan noona."

"Oh then let's stay as enemies forever," Tang Wei Sheng said with a smile. "But why do you hate me so much?"

"You are the sole reason why Noona is suffering now."

"Guilty as charged, but is that reason why "you" hate me?" Tang Wei Sheng asked him. 

"I usually hate rich playboys."

"You are the first person to accuse me of being a playboy."

"Aren't you? You were two-timing between Miss Ning and Juan noona." He wasn't ready for back off. 

"YAAAAA!!! it wasn't two-timing." Tang Wei Sheng sounded irked.

"Okay, I believe you, but can you explain why that woman is here?" Lee Tae Min pointed at Ning Jing.

"What do you know about the power disputes happening in a corporate family?" Tang Wei Sheng refuted back.

"If you are concerned about your title of a corporate heir, then you shouldn't have loved a commoner like noona." 

I' am doing this for her, all I ever want is to see her happy." Tang Wei Sheng said in a calm voice. He clearly disliked when someone says that he shouldn't have loved Li Juan. Why can't he love Li Juan?

"If you cared about noona's happiness, then you shouldn't have left her alone." Lee Tae Min couldn't control but to criticize Tang Wei Sheng. 

"You heard that doctor, it is dangerous for her-" Tang Wei Sheng tried to explain.

"I am not talking about the expedition."

Then?

"It is not the first time that you have left her alone and suffer."

"Yaaa!!!"

"Have you ever thought that one day someone will fill the void you left in her life?

If you haven't thought about it yet, then you should do it soon."

Tang Wei Sheng looked at Lee Tae Min with a startled face.

Li Juan woke up with a heavy head due to oversleeping. 

She rose from the bed and looked around. Everything felt unfamiliar to her eyes. On the bedside table, she found a digital clock and it showed 11 am.

Where is she? Did Tang Wei Sheng bring her back to the hotel?

Li Juan tried to remember yesterday's incidents.

She was supposed to leave Xi city on the last night, but Tang Wei Sheng barged in and locked her in Zhang Zi Zhong's house. After many failed attempts she realised that Tang Wei Sheng indeed locked her in the room and Zhang Zi Zhong and his wife agreed to him.

Li Juan looked around and found a picture of Zhang Li Jun in the wall.

Huh, Is she still in Zhang Zi Zhong's place?

Tang Wei Sheng didn't take her to the hotel?

Suddenly, the door got opened and Lin Li-Hui walked inside with a cup of coffee. 

"Ah Lili, you are awake?"

Lin Li-Hui handed over the coffee cup to Li Juan who appeared dazed.

"I came early in the morning to wake you up but you were sleeping soundly, I thought I will let you sleep more.

"Mrs Zhang, I want to go back." Li Juan said with a tired voice.

"Hmm, Why don't you leave after breakfast, it is already reached the time of brunch." Lin Li-Hui suggested.

"Hmmm," Li Juan nodded.

"Go and freshen up, I will wait for you in the dining room."

Li Juan reluctantly agreed.

"Or should I bring it here?"

"No, I will come."

"Okay." Lin Li-Hui smiled in agreement and left the room.

"

Li Juan sighed and walked towards the bathroom to freshen up.

She looked at her face in the mirror.

Pathetic!!!

Puffed eyes and face were enough to imply that she cried a river, last night. In addition to that, her hair was messy and clothes remained crumpled.

"It is better to take a quick shower."

Li Juan let out a sigh and walked towards the shower area.

After freshen up, Li Juan went to the dining room and found out that Zhang Zi- Zhong and Lin Li-Hui were patiently waiting for her.

"I am sorry to keep you waiting,"

"It is alright," Lin Li- Hui served her steaming congee and meat buns.

"Thank you," Li Juan began to eat in silence.

Zhang Zi Zhong and Lin Li-Hui looked at each other hesitating to talk to Li Juan.

"Do you have anything to ask me?" Li Juan asked them directly.

"CEO Tang has a request." Zhang Zi Zhong said hesitantly.

Li Juan's curious eyes focused on him.

"He asked you to. not to return to Jing city. He wishes that you will wait here at Xi city."

"It is not a request, Manager Zhang. It is an order." Li Juan corrected him. "Request or order, I don't care anymore. I am leaving manager Zhang." 

"Miss Li, CEO Tang is concerned about your health."

"You've witnessed it yesterday, manager Zhang. Li Juan said with a bitter smile. "Whatever relationship we had, it is over and I wish to part my ways with him. I want to stay away from him, as far as possible. Please don't ask me to stay."

"But even if you return to Jing city he can find you." Lin Li-Hui shared her concern. 

"I am planning to leave this country." Li Juan's face filled with determination.

"I lost everything, my family, my dream, everything that I have cherished and loved. There is no reason for me to stay here. I want to start over. So please," Li Juan finished eating and kept her chopsticks away.

"What if I can help you to start over life?" Lin Li Hui- looked at her with hopeful eyes.

"No, thanks." Li Juan rejected her offer without any second thoughts. "I don't want to get associated with anyone from Tang Corporations. Thanks for the meal" Li Juan stood up and turned to walk away.

" CEO Tang took your identification documents."

"What?" Li Juan looked at Zhang Zi Zhong and Lin Li-Hui with confusion.

"Without any identification documents, you can not-" Zhang Zi Zhong tried to explain. Li Juan didn't even care to listen, she immediately went to the room and searched for her purse.

Her resident identity card, passport, university identity card- every single document which acts as identity proof is missing, even her debit card.

Aiiiishhhhh!!! Li Juan felt like cussing. 

"Is he mad or what?"

She immediately looked for her mobile phone and switched it on.

"Sim card removed" a notification popped on the screen.

Damn!!! Li Juan pulled her hair.

How atrocious! Li Juan plopped down to the floor.

Lin Li-Hui and Zhang Zi Zhong walked towards her, with a guilty filled face. Tang Wei Sheng really went overboard by taking Li Juan's identification documents. 

"Xiao Lili," Lin Li-Hui sat near to Li Juan and stroked her hair.

"Mrs Zhang, can you help me?" Her big blacks eyes filled with tears.

"I don't want to be with him, please, help me, save me from him." 

Li Juan's voice trembled and tears started flowing. It was her last resort.

Lin Li-Hui grabbed Li Juan's arms.

"Hmm, we will help you," She assured Li Juan.

"But even if you go back to Jing city, you cannot run away from him. So why don't you stay here? Zhang Zi Zhong suggested. "We will guarantee your safety."

Li Juan didn't believe Zhang Zi Zhong's words. After all, he works for Tang Corporations.

"I told you that you are like my daughter. Do you think a father would purposefully make her daughter's life miserable?"

"Since my husband works under Tang corporations, you may not believe us. But I can help you to start over your life in a place, where no one can disturb you,

You might've loved him, but that doesn't give him a right to hurt you like this. It's your life Lily- don't let anyone else make decisions for you." Lin Li- Hui really wanted to hep Li Juan. 

"You cannot stay in this country under Tang Corporation's vigilance. No matter where ever you go, he will find you.

CEO Tang and his people are diligent, but there is a place where none of them can exert their power." Zhang Zi Shared his opinion.

"Where is it?"

"Yun city, at my home."

Evening 4 pm, Yun city.

"Xiao Lili," Lin Li Hui tried to wake up the girl who is sleeping on her lap. "We have reached."

Li Juan opened her eyes to witness a closer shot of Lin Li-Hui's pretty face. 

When Li Juan realized that she is lying on Lin Li-Hui's lap, she immediately jumped up.

"I am sorry, Mrs Zhang," Li Juan apologized and slapped her cheeks to wake her up.

"We have reached, Let's get down." Lin Li-Hui instructed her and got down from the car.

Li Juan wiped her face on her hoodie's sleeves and wore the reading glasses to hide her puffy eyes. 

The moment Li Juan got down from the car, she felt that she has transmigrated into a historical drama set.

A huge traditional gateway made up of wood and stones stood before her. The gateway has been beautifully decorated, with the pillars usually painted in red, the beams decorated with intricate designs and the roof covered with coloured tiles, complete with two statues of Lion guarding the place.

It took a moment for Li Juan to calm her heart.

"Is this your home?" Li Juan asked Lin Li-Hui with amused eyes.

"Did I tell you that, we are one big family, please come inside,"

Lin Li-Hui and Zhang Zi Zhong walked towards the entrance and with a loud sound, the wooden doors opened into a rocky pathway.

The security guards stood near the gates bowed in unison, Li Juan greeted them back and walked forward.

The pathway led to a huge palace-like building, though it was the fusion of traditional and contemporary architecture, Li Juan quickly realised that this building is nothing but a palace. 

But who lives in the palace nowadays? This must be a private resort or hotel. Li Juan tried to find a convincing excuse for the architecture marvel stood before her eyes. 

At the end of the pathway, few people stood as if they're waiting for the guests.

A noble-looking old man stood in front of the crowd and examined the guests.

"Good evening uncle." Lin Li-Hui and Zhang Zi Zhong bowed in front of him.

He returned their greeting with a smile and looked at Li Juan. 

Ah, Li Juan was lost for a moment and immediately bowed in front of them. 

All of their eyes were focused on Li Juan. 

"Good evening sir," Li Juan greeted him. 

"My name is Li Juan. " She introduced herself. 

"Bai Ze," he uttered a name.

"He is my father." There was a certain amount of amusement in Li Juan's face. "Do you know him, elder?" She asked him.

"I am Bai Qi, your grandfather."