Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

"I heard that all of you walked out from the dining room in protest against the princess," Zhang Zhi Jun, who sat down with his family, glanced his brothers and asked in a monotonous voice.

Bai Yu immediately glanced at Bai Mu Chuan, who faked ignorance of the current situation and remained stone-faced.

"Bai Mu Chuan, you traitor" Bai Yu mumbled. Even from their childhood, whenever they planned to pull some pranks, Bai Mu Chuan stays away from it and ruins their fun. 

"Ah Ling," Zhang Zhi Jun called his youngest cousin's name in an interrogative tone. 

"It was second brother," Bai Ling immediately blamed Bai Yu. "I told them she is harmless," 

Zhang Zhi Jun turn to look at Bai Yu who was fidgeting.

"I was just playing," Bai Yu avoided facing his big brother while replying.

Zhang Zhi Jun loves and cherishes his brothers unconditionally. He even turns a blind eye towards their little mischievous pranks. However this time, it's different.

"Really!" Bai Mu Chuan rolled his eyes, "You called her a fake imitation of Li Jun Jie before everyone and even pushed her into the water, like twice?" His words had a tinge of mockery and blame.

"Pushed her into water. When did this happen?" Bai Su Ya asked in doubt. 

"I did push her into the swimming pool, but it was only once. The other incident, I didn't do anything. It was boss who ran towards the princess and she slipped into the pond by her own." Bai Yu tried to clear the accusations against him.

"You little brats you hid everything from us?" Bai Chen turned towards the rest of the boys and asked them. 

"Even the princess hid everything from us. How bad she must've felt,"

"She scolded the second brother and said that she will go back to her home in Jing City," Bai Ling added his fair share of blame on Bai Yu.

" Did she said that she will leave?" Bai Zhu who remained silent till now asked with a serious tone. "Or did you ask her to leave?"

"I didn't ask her to leave, I said this is my house-

"You brat, how old are you, is this how you talk to your sister?" Bai Zhu raised his voice in anger. He couldn't believe what his son has done. 

"Why are you always taking her side?" Bai Yu argued back. "I still believe that she has some ulterior motives."

" What is the commotion?" Bai Qi's loud voice interrupted their argument.

Suddenly everyone's attention turned towards the entrance. Bai Qi and Li Juan stood near to the giant door. 

"Princess," Wu Xuan Yi grabbed Li Juan's arm and made her sit on the sofa. "What happened, why do look so sad, who was on the phone?"

"It was my professor, he called to check on me."

" Zhu, can I have a word with you?" Bai Qi called his eldest son and walked towards his study room. Without any hesitation, Bai Zhu followed his father.

" Jie, you live in Jing city, right?" Bai Ling immediately changed the topic. Have you met first brother before?

Li Juan looked at him in surprise. He called her "Jie"

"Yaaaa, she lives in Jing city, that doesn't mean that she knows everyone in the city," Bai Mu Xuan made fun of his brother.

"Yes. I have met him," Li Juan replied.

Really! Everyone gasped and looked at Zhang Zhi Jun who remained expressionless.

Li Juan glanced at him, they met three weeks ago and he even talked to her and gave her a ride on his car. 

He doesn't remember me? 

"Where did you meet him?" Bai Ling appeared curious

"He once came to my university for a movie shoot," Li Juan mentioned their first meeting. "For the shoot of Dr Psychic."

"That was first brother's debut movie, you met him at that time? Wow."

Five years ago, when Li Juan was in her second year of bachelors, Zhang Zhi Jun debuted in films. And his first movie shot in her university premises. 

"Everyone went to see the film shoot, they dragged me as well."

"Lie! Princess has a crush on first brother," Bai Mu Chuan declared in front of everyone.

"She is a big fan of historical dramas, she has watched every single drama of yours."

Everyone looked at Li Juan in surprise.

"No way, she is a complete nerd." Bai Yu commented. 

"Then you should probably check her phone." Bai Mu Chuan casually said.

Oh no! 

Even before Li Juan could hide her phone, Bai Yu snatched it from the table.

He tried to open the keypad and his eyes widened in shock. 

He looked at Li Juan and Zhang Zhi Jun, one by one and handed over to Bai Mu Xuan sitting next to him. 

Whoever took a look at the phone's screen had a similar perplexed expression. 

Finally, the mobile got landed on Zhang Zhi Jun's hands.

It was the picture of Li Juan with Zhang Zhi Jun's standee in a pure white costume and long hair. 

"She is definitely your fan."

"Braindead fan," Bai Mu Chuan added,

"Have you met her before?"

"I have met her before, Zhang Zhi Jun turned to face Li Juan,

"Were you the one whom I met on the shooting location of Dragon Emperor? The one who came to meet Ning Jing?"

"Yes." Li Juan beamed at him. It seems like he does remember me, she thought. "If you don't mind, can I leave now?"

Li Juan somehow wanted to escape from the scene. It was too embarrassing.

---------------------------------------------

In the evening, Li Juan was sitting in the Pavillion reading various books written on the Yu clan and their culture. Bai Qi lended these books to Li Juan from the Yu palace's private library.

"Hy," Zhang Zhi Jun tried to gain attention from Li Juan who was immersed in the books. 

"It looks like Bai Yu wasn't lying. You are a nerd." He looked at the pile of books placed near her.

"I like to read." Li Juan kept her reply short.

"May I?" He pointed towards the chair next to her and took a seat.

"I know it was a bit late, but still, Nice to meet you, princess."

Li Juan smiled as a reply and removed her glasses.

"Everything was so sudden and unexpected; we missed a chance to introduce ourselves." Zhang Zhi Jun began to explain.

"You are someone who doesn't need any introduction." Li Juan said with a smile. 

"What about you?"

"I thought Bai Yu would have told everything about me." 

"Yu, yes he mentioned you." Zhang Zhi Jun appeared curious. 

"But I want to hear it from you."

"What is there to hear?"

"How did you manage to get into Yu palace?" Zhang Zhi Jun's cheerful voice quickly transformed into a deadly serious like an interrogative officer. "last time we met, you said that you are a research scholar?" 

"Did you think of me as saesang fan?"Li Juan almost choked upon hearing his accusations. 

"In my knowledge, Uncle Bai Ze have only a son named Li Juan," Zhang Zhi Jun continued,

"Do I look like a boy?" 

"Who knows, the medical field is so advanced that-" he didn't complete his sentence. 

"I am 100 per cent sure that, a person like you can dig out anyone's personal information within minutes. So why don't you try that?" Li Juan tried to control her anger. 

"Plus, you are a member of Yu palace and probably you would have known how difficult is to get into the palace,"

"These are not my questions?" Zhang Zhi Jun opened his palms in denial. "These are from your brothers."

"After a lot of brainstorming, one of them came up with a conspiracy theory that, you are a sasaeng fan of mine who did plastic surgery to look like Li Jun and marry me." Zhang Zhi Jun chuckled while explaining.

" Please inform whoever came with this story, that if he is planning to become a writer, with this level of imagination, he is going to reach high places." Li Juan said with a poker face. 

"I didn't believe Bai Yu when he said that the princess is silver-tongued." Zhang Zhi Jun commented. 

"What else did he say? The so-called princess of Yu palace is nothing but a rude and arrogant woman?" Li Juan sounded annoyed. 

"Why would he call you rude and arrogant? He likes you a lot."

"Everyone knows that Bai Yu likes his Li Jun Jie more than anyone else."

"Bai Yu never gets closer to anyone on their first meeting. He takes time to observe them and figure out what kind of relationship should he maintain with them. If he likes someone, he will begin to tease and irritate them. It is his way to show is love." Zhang Zhi Jun tried to explain Bai Yu's actions.

" Oh, I didn't know that calling someone fake is a form of affection."

"He regrets it."

"Thanks for informing me, I am glad to know that he didn't hate me." 

"He is not a kid who hates his sister in law." Zhang Zhi Jun casually slipped his intention into their conversation. 

"Sister-in-law?" Li Juan caught the bait.

"Don't tell me that you are one of the suitors." Her eyes sparkled in surprise. 

" I am the only one, who got an upper hand among your suitors" Zhang Zhi Jun reminded her.

"What about the young master from the Guan family?" Li Juan mentioned her second suitor.

"Aha, it seems like you got to know about everything. So I can cut the chase and be straight forward." Zhang Zhi Jun's ink-black eyes burned like coals,

"Princess, I would like to ask for your hand in marriage."

"But you are my cousin," She refused without a second a thought.

"only in records." He added," I might be your first cousin in records, but I was born in Zhang family. In case you are worried about our children, then let me clarify that we are not blood-related for seven generations." 

Children! Whoa- That came from nowhere.

"Why?" Li Juan straightened her back and stared into his exceptionally stunning face.

"I don't understand Mr Zhang, we just met a few hours ago and you are already asking me to marry you."

"I heard that you like me." His answer was simple and short.

"I like you as an actor, it is nothing but a celebrity crush."

"Feelings can be developed."

"You are the Zhang Zhi Jun, the nation's husband. There will be a thousand fangirls and fellow actresses who are waiting to be your girlfriend. Why me?"

"There are two reasons." Zhang Zhi Jun began to point out.

"First, as per the rules of the Yu Clan, the firstborns are considered as the royal couple. Since we are the firstborn of this generation, we are bounded to follow the rule."

"And second?"

"I think, I love you."

There was a momentary surprise in Li Juan's face, but it quickly changed into a gleeful chuckle. Well, she didn't expect that. 

"Aye, you cannot just blurt out things like that?"

"Why? I am not allowed to like you?" Zhang Zhi Jun kept his calm and asked her.

Li Juan's laughter halted all at once.

"I didn't know that you have a humorous side." She commented,

"Why do you think that I was joking?" 

"Look, Mr Zhang, 

"Jun," he corrected her. "I won't mind even if you call me gege." Zhang Zhi Jun suggested with a grin.

Li Juan was lost for a moment, 

NOOOOOO, Don't fall for that- she reminded herself and took a deep breath.

"I am not interested to have a relationship right now."

"You can take your time to accept me."

"What if I don't have any feelings for you?" Li Juan asked a hypothetical question.

Zhang Zhi Jun chuckled sweetly. "I have seen you love-struck." 

"That was three weeks ago," Li Juan immediately refused, she could predicate where this conversation is heading to,

"What would have changed in three weeks?" 

"A lot, things you cannot even imagine." Li Juan said with a straight face. 

"You deserve someone better, Zhang Zhi Jun."

"What if I don't want a better one?" His words were coated with uncompromising determination.

Both of them glared into each other's eyes for a moment.

"Excuse me," Li Juan stood up from the chair and picked her books, walked out in hurried steps.

"Do you remember our first meeting Miss Li Juan, the ace of the archaeology department?" Zhang Zhi Jun yelled to the girl who is leaving him behind.

Li Juan stopped in her tracks and turned towards him.

"So, you remember now?"

"I didn't forget you in the first place. I was just making sure that you were the same girl."