Chapter 51 - The Free Bird

"You don't love me anymore, why? Did you find someone else?" He asked her.

Li Juan looked at Tang Wei Sheng's cold eyes, is that him?

Is he the one who tried to violate her in the name of love?

Li Juan was sure that she did saw a momentary glimpse of Tang Wei Lang's arrogance and obsession in his eyes, but in a moment it got replaced with guilt and helplessness.

It is Tang Wei Sheng. The one who is sitting infront with a melancholic expression was not the same person.

Tang Wei Sheng noticed Li Juan's critical eyes and her hostile behaviour, the moment she woke up.

Tang Wei Lang hurt her again,

He has broken her trust.

Li Juan asked for some time to mentally prepare herself before having a physical relationship,

but Tang Wei Lang forced him on her to assert his dominance.

Well, Tang Wei Sheng is not an idiot to romanticize non-consensual sex and call it love.

It is a crime,

He has committed a crime.

He felt extremely sad and guilty due to his alter ago's paranoid behaviour towards Li Juan.

Whenever Li Juan is around, Tang Wei Sheng was on a constant struggle with his alter ego who tries to overpowers him. Some times he wins, some time he fails, however he always tried his best not to unleash the beast.

But last night Tang Wei Sheng failed in controlling his inner beast.

"What if I find someone else?" Li Juan's voice woke up Tang Wei Sheng from his thoughts.

"are you going to punish me again?" Li Juan asked with a straight face. "Since the physical assault has already done, what next? going to kill me?"

Tang Wei Sheng looked at her with a guilty face. It is over, Li Juan hates me now.

He moved closer to Li Juan and tried to touch her cheeks.

She dodged his touch. " Don't touch me"

"I know, right now you are angry at me. You have all the rights to be angry. I did wrong and I am ready to face any punishment you are going to give me." Tang Wei Sheng said it in a firm tone.

"Stay away from me," Li Juan ordered.

Tang Wei Sheng was silent for a moment.

" Hmm, I agree, let's take a break and pretend that we are strangers"

"We are already strangers, there is no need to pretend," Li Juan's words sounded harsh.

Tang Wei Sheng smiled bitterly at her remark. How much she hates him to speak such rash words?

It's because of that monster! Tang Wei Sheng felt his brain is going to explode because of anger.

"You loved me for ten years and one month ago you accepted my proposal too. Do you really think we can become strangers after all this?" There was a change in his tone, a lit bit arrogance.

"What if you get replaced with someone else?"

"Do I look like a fool to believe that? Don't be stupid my moon, no one can replace me in your life" He said with a smug face.

He called her moon! Li Juan was shocked to hear that,

It is Tang Wei Lang!!!

How random is he changing his personalities?

Just a moment she was talking to Tang Wei Sheng,

" I will take leave now, rest well, I don't want you to give up on your dream of finding the lost city"

He patted her cheeks and smiled a devilish grin before walking out from the room.

Li Juan felt her mind is muddled with truths she had witnessed just now.

It was true, Tang Wei Sheng did love Ning Jing, the one who loved Li Juan was his alter ego.

Why didn't she thought of it?

Tang Wei Sheng had split personality and maybe both of his personalities loved different persons.

Tang Wei Sheng was always kind towards others and what if his feelings towards Li Juan was nothing but sympathy,

Or maybe it was the alter ego who sworn his love towards Li Juan.

By confessing her love to Tang Wei Sheng, Li Juan was indirectly letting the parasite to take over the host.

What she has done to him?

While they were together, it must Tang Wei Sheng who has suffered like a puppet in someone else's hands. He was forced to love someone.

What would've happened to Tang Wei Sheng, if she agreed to get married?

The arrogant and evil alter ego would've taken over his soul and permanently locks the Tang Wei Sheng's real persona.

So it was her who awakens the monster in Tang Wei Sheng?

As long as she stays closer to him, it will cost Tang Wei Sheng his life.

Is it because of the curse that she was born with?

Like her parents, Does her bad luck going to kill Tang Wei Sheng like a slow poison.

"No!!!!"

Li Juan felt like running away.

But to where? Where will she go?

All her life, she used to search for the lost city. She wanted to solve the mystery about the jade land.

But fate has tied her with Tang Wei Sheng and she was unable to break away him.

Li Juan searched for her mobile. She couldn't find any. She pressed the bell and called the nurse.

"Yes Miss Li, how can I help you?"

When can I go home?

"You are under observation for twenty-four hours, within this time if you don't show any discomfort, you can leave."

"Ah, Can you help to contact my brother?" I left my phone at home.

Yes. Li Juan gave her Lee Tae Min's contact number. The person who can help her was Lee Tae Min.

Within one hour Lee Tae Min came to visit Li Juan at the hospital. The moment he saw Li Juan in hospital gown he was shocked and went speechless.

"Tae Minah, Noona," Li Juan tried to explain.

"Don't call me like that!" Lee Tae Min shouted at Li Juan,

"You don't consider me as a brother, and then what is the point of calling you a sister?"

Li Juan was shocked to see his reaction. She expected that Lee Tae Min will be disappointed with her, but never imagined that he will shout at her in outrage.

"You didn't show up at lab for two days and you ignored my calls, when I came to your home, you weren't there either.

I don't care what you do or where you go.

And I really don't care if you are dating that CEO guy. Live your life as a freaking free bird!!!! " Lee Tae Min stopped for a moment.

"Can't help but not to ask, what the hell are you doing Li Juan? Are you sick of living? Do you wish to die?"

Lee Tae Min was hurt and angry. So he blurted out all the things came to his mind

"I told you a thousand times, come and stay with me or at least get a maid. You didn't care, now look at what happened?" He was literally trembling with anger.

Li Juan took a sigh.

"Lee Tae Min, Let's go to your place."

"No, I am not taking you home." He refused.

"I said "your" home!"

What? He looked at her with dubious eyes

"Let's go to your home." Li Juan said with a gentle smile.

"You are not joking na?"

"No, I've decided."

Upon Li Juan's reassurance, his face got lit with happiness.

"Let me go to the office and ask about discharging you."

"Tae Min," Li Juan called him in a low voice.

"I have something to say to you."

"What is it Noona?"

"The reason why I am here …" Li Juan hesitated for a moment. "It is because of Tang Wei Sheng."

"Tang Wei Sheng? Did he try to hurt you again?" Lee Tae Min's happiness got replaced with anger in a moment.

"It is not like what you are thinking," Li Juan tried to explain.

"While I was in high school, I used to like him."

Li Juan looked at Lee Tae Min's There wasn't any change of expression in his face. His face didn't have a slight change as he knew it before.

"I had my doubts, but Noona! He is engaged." He reminded her.

I know, I am well aware that he is engaged to someone else.

But, I loved him." Li Juan stopped for a moment.

" It took me 10 years to confess that. I want to be with him. But the truth is that no matter how hard I try I can't have him. There is no chance for me to lead a life with him. "

"What did he say?" Lee Tae Min was curious.

Li Juan looked at the green jade ring in her fingers.

"He loves me," Li Juan wanted to correct herself- No he didn't. But she didn't dare to say that. Tang Wei Sheng never mentioned about his split personality, she found it by herself. How can she let another person know about it? No. Li Juan decided to go with the same old plot which she used to keep her hopes crushed.

"Our worlds are different. He is the heir of Tang Corporation and I am just an ordinary girl. I can't climb into his world and I didn't have any courage to ask him into my messy life."

"This is ridiculous!!!" Lee Tae Min got disappointed on hearing her words.

" Why are you thinking like this? Like any other girl, you have the right to love Tang Wei Sheng and he loves you too, then what is the meaning of social class differences between you and him?"

"It is over now. The moment he got engaged with Ning Jing, it is over." Li Juan tried to end the conversation.

"It is over? Noona it is your life. Why can't you discuss it with CEO Tang? Tell him about your concerns. He will be able to solve them." Lee Tae Min suggested. After all, he concerns about her happiness,

"No"

"Why?"

Li Juan didn't answer his questions.

"Let me talk to CEO Tang? I want to know his opinion," Lee Tae Min took his mobile.

"No Tae Min, please don't do that." Li Juan stopped him from calling Tang Wei Sheng. " Let him marry her. He and his family will be happy with it."

"What about you? "

"He had his reasons to marry Ning Jing. And I have my reasons to stay away from him. "

"I don't understand Noona. If you love someone why don't you try to be with them rather than running away from them?" Lee Tae Min asked with a serious face.

" I am scared, I have witnessed his suffering,

I have witnessed the damage I am causing to him.

I have seen him changing to the monster because of me." Li Juan's eyes got filled with tears.

"He doesn't deserve to live like that, he deserves to be happy."

"What about you? What about your happiness?

" Is there anything left in my life which can keep me happy?

"The thing which keeps me alive is my research." Li Juan wiped her tears and smiled. " Once I am done with that I will leave to someplace where he cannot find me." Li Juan was determined.

"Do you think CEO Tang would stay still and watch you leave?" Lee Tae Min question was like a challenge.

" Noona, stop being a coward."

" I've decided, once I am done with the expedition, I am leaving this place." Li Juan looked at his face. " After all, I don't have anyone left here"

"What about me?" Lee Tae Min asked her suddenly with a gloomy eyes.

"What about you? Li Juan was surprised to hear his question. She knows that Lee Tae Min loves her, but did she made a mistake in keeping him closer? Does his behaviour towards her is also an obsession, sugar-coated with love and care?

"Come with me," Lee Tae Min asked her, " to my home."

"My grandpa, dad- mom, Hyung, even my *Yaksookie will treat you like a princess," He looked at her hopefully.

Li Juan brushed Lee Tae Min's hair with a smile.

"Tae Minah, I am happy that you said these to me. I appreciate it a lot, but," Li Juan stopped for a moment.

"Let's stop being a coward, Lili, be bold" Li Juan repeated in her mind.

"Whether it is made up of iron or gold, a cage will be always a cage.

Your Noona wishes to become a free bird who doesn't want to be caged"