Empress Of The Lost Kingdom - Chapter 175

Since Li Juan sprained her ankle and had trouble to move around, Lee Tae Yang decided to work from home while taking care of her.

In the morning itself, he made Li Juan to call and inform her department head about her situation for taking a leave as soon as she joined.

However, even after department head suggested her to not worry about the pending work, Li Juan appeared in low spirits.

“Take this as an opportunity to learn the test procedures and practices,” Tae Yang tried to uplift the girl who was fretting about the same.

“If you have listened to me properly, the swelling wouldn’t have worsened,”

Even after applying ice packs, the swelling in her foot has increased over night,

“Do you think I’ve broke my ankle?” Li Juan looked at Tae Yang who was wrapping an elastic band on her ankle to avoid more compression.

“No, it’s because you tossed and turned on the bed,”

“I couldn’t sleep properly due to the pain and guilty,” She admitted in a penitent tone, “I am always getting hurt and making others worry. Because of my carelessness, you even have to take leave and take care of me,”

“This time you got hurt because of me, so you should feel less guilty and let me take care of you,”

“You are the CEO-”

“I am a doctor too,” He rebuked as he finished bandaging her foot and sat on the couch.

Li Juan slightly bobbed her head and took her cell phone which was ringing continuously with message notifications.

“My Juniors asked me to teach them for the exams…they even added me on their study group…What I am going to do now?” She face palmed and hesitated to reply to the messages which was filling in her phone screen.

“You can ask them to come here,” Lee Tae Yang suggested a solution.

However hearing his words Li Juan rebutted immediately, quoting that she does not want to cause any more trouble to Lee Tae Yang.

“I don’t mind having guests-”

“No way, I am not going to invite them here. Yesterday, they practically tortured me to know about the man who dropped me at university. I am not going to let them know that I live with you,”

Does she want to keep it as a secret? Lee Tae Yang’s heart was desolate at her words,

Isn’t she is the one who suggested to live together,

“I don’t know why everyone is so curious about my boyfriend. I can understand that girls are quite gossipy about others life, but what about boys? Even students from other departments came and asked whether I am in a relationship. Seriously, what is wrong with these kids?” She gritted as she went on ranting,

However hearing her rants, Lee Tae Yang’s let out a chuckle,

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Li Juan shrugged her shoulders and looked at the man who sat beside,

“You have so many admirers at university. So they are just curious whether you are single or not,”

“Woahhhh!!!” Her big eyes widened as if she heard something unnatural.

“When Tae Min started to work with you, there were rumors that both of you are a couple,” He said in with an indifferent face, “He is very possessive towards people whom he love. So he basically warded off men who tried to approach you,”

Li Juan narrowed her eyes at Lee Tae Yang in doubt,

“Tell me the truth, did you order him to keep me on check?” She pointed her finger at him,

“Why would I do that? I was equally surprised when he joined as an intern in the archaeology department. It was not even his field of interest,” He totally denied her accusations, “Whenever I came to Jing city, he used to come and talk about you. One day, all of sudden he called me and asked…nah..ordered me to marry you,”

“So he was basically our wing man,” Li Juan nodded and snuggled upon a cushion, “No wonder he was fierce that day,”

“When?”

“While you were away, Tae Min argued with your family, especially with your grandma. I was so scared,”

“Grandma and Tae Min always argues over trivial things. You don’t have to worry about them,” He smiled and brought some snacks and juice for Li Juan to munch while studying,

“I have a video conference at eleven. I will be in the study, call me if you need anything,” He told her and stood up from the seat,

“You are so sweet, i don’t understand why everyone calls you “the dark emperor”? Li Juan rested her face on her palm and scanned the man who was looking at her with a placid smile, “Are you a bad guy?”

Hearing her taunting words, Tae Yang leaned over to Li Juan’s side, narrowing the distance between them, his dark and deep eyes shrouded in vicious allure,

His overbearing aura almost suffocating Li Juan,

His thin and attractive lips curling into a lethally seductive smirk,

“Do you want me to become a bad guy?”

Li Juan subconsciously shook her head and refused,

Seeing her horrified eyes, his cold and deadly facade broke into a laughter,

“Be good and don’t move your foot unnecessarily,” He ruffled her hair and went to the study room leaving Li Juan in daze,

Once Lee Tae Yang’s towering figure vanished behind the study room, Li Juan exhaled in relief, and fanned herself with her palm,

She unbuttoned the top two buttons in her olive green henley t-shirt, her back was covered in sweat within the very short time,

Why does the room feels so hot?

In order to prevent herself from pondering what just happened, Li Juan reached out for the lab manual for preserving artifacts and immersed herself in reading.

When Lee Tae Yang returned after the meeting, he saw Li Juan dozing off in the couch,

Since Li Juan takes her medicines ever since her accident, it has greatly affected her circadian rhythm,

She falls asleep at unusual timings in unusual places,

He bent down and tried to carry her, Li Juan groaned in half- asleep,

“If you sleep here, your body will be sore,” He advised in a tender voice,

“Let me…sleep here…,” She requested in a tender voice,

“Fine,”

He twitched his lips and walked over to his bedroom to bring a blanket for Li Juan.

When the soft quilt touched her skin, Li Juan unconsciously moving her hurt leg, her eyebrows creasing in pain,

Lee Tae Yang crouched beside her foot and adjusted the elastic band which covered her ankle.

He gently brushed the hair strands covering her face and stood up,

However before he could go, a slender hand grasped his long fingers and stopped him,

“Don’t go,”

“Hmm,”

“Stay with me,”

Lee Tae Yang let out a sigh as he sat on the couch and placed her head on his lap,

When Li Juan found her familiar warmth, she buried herself onto his arms,

Lee Tae Yang was confused when he encountered with Li Juan’s advances,

He couldn’t figure out what is in her mind,

Is she willing to initiate a physical relationship with him, even though he is a stranger for her?

He placed his arm over her slender shoulder and patted gently,

“What is our relationship, Xiao Li?” He asked Li Juan,

However he got no answer from Li Juan, but she snuggled upon to his arm, gently rubbing her face on his wrist,

After an hour, the door bell of the penthouse rang,

Lee Tae Yang tried to move Li Juan who was asleep on her lap, however she turned over and wrapped her arms over his waist, like a baby koala,

After few more rings, the door bell ceased and all of sudden Lee Tae Yang’s cell phone rang and it showed his assistant’s number,

He picked up the call,

“Hello Boss, are you at home? I came over with the documents which you demanded,”

He pinched the space between his eyebrows,

“7070, the password, come inside,” Lee Tae Yang ordered and adjusted the blanket over the sleepy woman who was clutching onto him,

“Ahh yes boss,”

After a moment, the door of the penthouse clicked open and Chen Da Meng came inside,

His diligent eyes swept a glance across the living room and found his boss seated on the couch,

“Good after noon Boss-”

Chen Da Meng who was diligently walking towards the couch stopped in his tracks and blinked few time as if he had dirt in his eyes.

There is woman sleeping on his boss’s lap,

Her face was not visible from the angle where he was standing,  all he could see is a thick black hair cascading down like a water fall.

“I am sorry,” Lee Tae Yang said in an apologetic tone,

“Huh?”

“She sprained her ankle and can’t move around,”

“Is he explaining to me?” Chen Da Meng stared at his boss like an idiot and the woman who was asleep,

“Ahem..where is it?” Lee Tae Yang inquired as he tried to hide his flustered voice,

Chen Da Meng walked over and handed the document to his boss, though he was curious to know about the woman, he didn’t dare to look,

“She is my fiance,” Lee Tae Yang said casually, “Take a seat,”

“Fiance, so it wasn’t true that CEO Lee is married?” Chen Da Meng exhaled and settled on the sofa opposite to them and kept his gaze lowered as much as possible,

So boss’s fiance got her ankle injured? Is that why he took a leave?

While Chen Da Meng was immersed himself in the thoughts, a sleepy yet melodious voice fell on his ears,

“Tae Yang, can..you… get.. me some water?” The sleepy voice requested,

“Hmm, can you Wake up?” Lee Tae Yang closed the document and helped Li Juan sit straight on the couch,

Li Juan who groggily woke up from the sleep, saw the man who was sitting opposite to them with downcast eyes,  “Who is this?” She asked him in a low voice,

“He is my assistant, Chen Da Meng,” Lee Tae Yang poured out a glass of water for her and said,

“I am sorry…,” Li Juan apologized to him, “I didn’t that your assistant will-”

“It’s alright,”

“Hi, I am Li Juan,” She introduced herself,

The moment Chen Da Meng who raised his eyes at the woman, his jaw dropped as if saw something marvelous,

“God!!!!! His lady boss is sooooooo prettyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!”

“I know ma’am, I saw you yesterday…,”

“Ahhh!!” Li Juan brushed her loose hair and looked at the man beside her, “Why don’t you get him something to drink?”

Lee Tae Yang nodded obediently and went into kitchen,

Chen Da Meng who saw his boss politely obeying Li Juan’s orders, wanted to laugh,

Who would ever expect that there is a real boss in the city who could order infamous dark emperor of Lee corporation like a butler.

——-

Thanks to Lee Tae Yang’s proper care, Li Juan’s ankle healed quicker and she was able to go to university.

By that time, the rest of the research team, returned from Tu valley. Once again the professor Han Guang’s lab became lively.

Though Li Juan wish to hide the fact that she is living with a man, however due to someone’s daily routine of dropping off his “girl friend” has become a topic among her team mates and juniors.

Since Han Guang and Cheng Tao almost knew what happened in Li Juan’s life, it wasn’t a new information for them.

“Lily, are you free today? Its my mother’s birthday on Saturday, i want to buy her a dress. Can you come with me?” Cheng Tao asked Li Juan who was about to leave the research lab,

“Sure, sure,” Li Juan agreed without any hesitations

“I will also come with you,” Lee Tae Min added, “Call him and tell that you will be late,”

Since Li Juan understood whom he was mentioning, she picked her cell phone and dialed the number which was saved under the name, “Sun,”

At the same time, Lee Tae Yang was in a business meeting.

The year is ending and he needs to check the profit and loss of the Lee corporations.

Suddenly Lee Tae Yang’s mobile rang and he took the call even without checking the caller id.

“Are you busy right now?” Li Juan’s melodious voice reached his ears,

“No, no, I am not busy.” He replied immediately,

The entire audience in the conference room stared at their CEO in disbelief,

They are in the middle of discussion about millions of dollars and how can  he say that he is not busy?

“I am planning to go shopping, is there anything you like to eat? I will get it.” Li Juan asked him,

“Are you going alone?”

“No, Senior Cheng and Tae Min are with me. Do you want anything special?”

“I will eat whatever you buy,”

“Aye, a person needs to have some favorites, Mr Sun,” Li Juan chided him,

He smiled and continued, “I like abalones,”

“Okay, I will get abalones for you. Will you be late today? I know it is the end of the year and you will be busy,”

“I will try to come home earlier,” He assured her,

“Hmm, okay then, if you need anything else, just call me,”

“Okay, I will call you. Hmm,” He ended the conversation and swept a glance across the conference room which fell in to absolute silence,

The people in the room was curious to know about the other party who was on the call,

So the rumor was true? CEO Lee is living with his fiance?