The forgotten memory of Dai Liang
When Li Juan came out of the room after the shower, the whole house was quiet. Only Li Juan's footsteps on the wooden floor heard in the room. She slowly looked around the house.
It was a cottage built in rustic style,
Compared to Tang Wei Sheng's villa in Xi city, this vacation house was smaller. It was a one storey building with perfectly designed two bedrooms, a living room plus dining area and kitchen.
The vacation home was not grand, but the minimalistic and cosy feeling of the house gave a warm and welcoming vibe.
Li Juan liked the design of the vacation house, she felt that it fits the concept of her dream home. Li Juan never wished to have a large and spacious house. She always wanted a small and cosy home where she can live with her family.
But meeting Tang Wei Sheng has changed her dream of living in a small building. Well, he was the heir of Tang Corporation he would never live in a small apartment.
Li Juan suddenly remembered Tang Wei Sheng's words. He wanted her to move in with him, he wanted to ask her hand in marriage. She looked at the jade ring in her hand. Li Juan was still unable to believe what happened between them in the last few days.
Li Juan came out of the house looking for Liang. There were a garden and pond was in front of the cottage.
The garden was filled with so many flowering plants as well as trees.
There were a wooden table and bench kept in the garden.
Liang was sitting on the bench and reading something on his laptop. He wore a pair of glass which made him looks cute. He looked extremely handsome and poise in a white shirt and tan chinos. Whenever Li Juan saw him, Liang always wore black clothes, which gave him a dark and cold aura. However, today he looks relaxed and casual. She walked towards him at a slow pace.
"Dr Liang," Li Juan called him. Liang averted his gaze from his laptop and looked at her.
She was wearing a white sweater and blue midi skirt.
Li Juan looked like a teenager. A small smile flashed in Liang's lips.
"Did you take a shower?"
"Yes. But don't worry I didn't let anything happen to the bandage." Li Juan smiled.
"Come, sit." Liang offered her a seat.
Li Juan sat opposite to him and observed the surroundings.
It was a quiet neighbourhood. The whole place was filled with various plants and trees.
The only sound heard was the bird's chirpings and rustlings of the leaves. Upon first sight, anyone can identify that this vacation home is designed to give the guests a wonderful holiday.
"You have a beautiful vacation home."
"It is simple but yet beautiful." Li Juan genuinely expressed her thoughts. "Its design is somewhat similar to my dream home."
"Oh, thank you. Here have one of these." Liang handed over a fruit basket to her. It was filled with oranges.
"It is grown here."
"Oh, you even have an orchard. You amaze me with new information." In Li Juan's mind, Liang looked like an owner of an underground mafia gang, but in reality, he was just an owner to an orchard.
"What happened to my laptop?" Li Juan looked at Liang's laptop and wondered about her laptop and her luggage.
"I have given it to the service centre. They are trying to fix it."
"What about my bag?"
"It is kept in your room, you didn't see it?"
"No," Li Juan said with a confused face.
"Your cellphone is lost, if you uploaded your contacts and photos into the cloud storage, we can try recovering it into a new phone."
"Hmm," Li Juan got lost in thoughts and Liang continued to look at his laptop.
"Can I ask you something?" Li Juan asked after a few minutes.
"Yes!"
"How long did I sleep?"
"Less than 48 hours," Liang replied casually.
"Was it a critical injury?"
"Not really, it was more like you got shocked because of the gunshot."
"Hmm, So I missed New Year?"
"Yes, I'm sorry for not waking you up." Liang apologised.
"Hmm," Li Juan's face turned gloomy. She was supposed to move in with Tang Wei Sheng after the new year. Li Juan let out a sigh.
"So what do you want to do for the rest of the day?"
"I wanted to take a look around this place, but." Li Juan paused and hesitated. Liang observed her thoroughly.
"Can I take a look at your book collection?" Li Juan asked him.
Liang chuckled. He was expecting the same from her. What else can amaze a bibliophile like Li Juan? "Of course, you can.
I heard you are looking for a lost city." Liang tried to change the topic.
"How do you know?" Li Juan asked out of curiosity. "Ah never mind, you know everything." Li Juan pouted.
Liang looked at her pouted face. Did she make a funny face at him? As far as he knows, Li Juan was a silent girl who never initiated a conversation with a stranger. But the moment Li Juan woke up from the sedation, she is chatty with Liang as if they know each other.
"Hey, it comes under my work. You should have some knowledge about the case you are dealing with." Liang explained.
"So you know everything about me?" Li Juan asked him.
"Well, I know a little bit about you."
"What do you know about me, let me hear it?" Li Juan persuaded him.
"Is that necessary?"
"Yes. It is. Let me check whether the information is correct or not?" Li Juan replied in an excited voice and banged her fist on the table.
"Hey easy, easy." Liang stopped her. "I never knew that you are a violent person."
"That's why I told you to check the facts." Li Juan smirked.
"Okay then. I will tell you the first thing I found about you. You appear timid and silent. But when you begin to talk about history, your behaviour takes 180-degree turn and becomes the most talkative person."
Li Juan smiled upon hearing that.
"Your teachers and friends thought that with your grades, you will become a doctor or a scientist. But they were wrong, you were interested in archaeology.
Is that right?" Liang asked for confirmation.
"Yes. Please continue Dr Liang."
"How long are you going to call me Dr Liang? You know that I'm not a doctor."
"Ok. Mr Liang, please continue what you were saying."
"Are you seriously curious about this?" Liang looked at the girl in front of him.
"Yes. I like to hear things about me from a different perspective." Li Juan's face remained expressionless, but her eyes looked curious.
"Oh really," suddenly Liang's words were interrupted by his mobile phone. He attended the call and began to converse in the K language.
Though Li Juan doesn't know the K language, she could understand a few words.
"Excuse me." Liang apologised to Li Juan and walked away with the phone.
"What did you find?" Liang asked. "Who were they?"
"It is the Red Dragon," A crisp male voice replied to his queries.
"Red Dragon, are you sure that it is them?" Liang doubted. Red Dragon was a notorious group of Hitmen in the country.
"Yes, Boss. They were rookies but still, they are part of the mafia."
Hiring the red dragon for a commoner like her is too mysterious. After all, she is a mere research scholar. Liang was talking about Li Juan and the people who tried to kidnap her.
"Do you think that she is used as bait for trapping Tang Wei Sheng?" The man from the other side asked.
"Most probably, Yes." Liang replied, "What about him? Did he find out that his girlfriend is missing?"
"No. He might've tried to call miss Li a few times, but since we lost the mobile,"
"Hmm, there is something suspicious about the whole attack and the aftermath of it." Liang was curious.
"I don't think that Tang Wei Sheng would remain calm even if he knew everything. Maybe someone is trying to cover the fact that Li Juan is missing."
"I will look into it."
"Okay, call as soon as you get any information."
"Yes." Liang ended the conversation and came back to Li Juan.
"Do you know the K language?" Li Juan who was listening to his conversation asked. "I didn't eavesdrop though,"
"Yes. It was the K language."
"Did you study it in college?" Li Juan was curious.
"No. I am a native speaker."
"You are from K country?" Li Juan was awestruck. "I thought you are from the Mainland?"
"I lived in Mainland and H city for more than twenty years," Liang replied casually.
Li Juan looked at Liang. He was still in his late twenties. If he lived in C country for more than twenty years, that means he is a refugee from north K country- It was the first thought went to Li Juan's mind.
"Don't you tell me that you are from the other K country?" Li Juan shared her concern with him.
"Other K country?" Liang looked at her.
"Don't you know which K country is situated near to the Mainland?"
"Are you?" Li Juan hesitated to complete the question. "Are you a refugee?"
"Is that a problem?" Liang refuted her question.
"No." Li Juan was embarrassed. She had heard the news about how people escaped from their own country to have a peaceful life.
"Never, I was thinking that it must have been a difficult journey for you, to endure all those things and look at you now. You are well accomplished. You must've worked very hard."
"So you feel bad about me?" Liang asked her in a serious tone.
"No, I was just thinking." Li Juan was looking for words. She realized that she took a sensitive topic to talk.
Cut it off Juan are you stupid? She reminded herself.
"I have a friend, he is also from K country." Li Juan tried to change the topic.
"The other K country?" Liang didn't seem like he wanted to change the topic.
"No, no he is from Soul city." Li Juan clarified her words.
"Oh, that guy who you are close with?"
"Did you know about Tae Min too?" Li Juan was dumbfounded.
"Yes. Everybody knows that ice-cold prince of humanities department only talks to you." Liang explained whatever he knew about Li Juan. "Even your professors have doubted that you and Tae Min are in a relationship."
Li Juan was well aware of that rumour. Tae Min was the most handsome guy in the whole humanities department and it was obvious that girls would go crazy for him.
Whenever he assists Professor Han on lectures and conferences, even the girls from other departments will come and attend it. And some brave girls even approached him to start a relationship with him.
But with his stern face and ice-cold behaviour, Lee Tae Min ignored them and only cared for Li Juan.
Even though Lee Tae Min had a cold behaviour with Li Juan, he was a warm sweet person who always took care of her. And it was obvious, for outsiders to believe that they were in a relationship.
"And what do you think?" Li Juan asked for Liang's opinion. What does he think of herself?
"Professor Han and his research scholars adore their only female colleague.
Lee Tae Min and Cheng Tao are like your bothers. Especially Tae Min, you love that kid a lot.
You don't have a brother and he doesn't have a sister.
You guys fill each other's voids.
Well, I don't find anything fishy in your relationship." Liang stopped for a moment and smiled.
"But Tang Wei Sheng suspects him. Doesn't he?"
Li Juan was surprised to hear that. Tang Wei Sheng was jealous at Lee Tae Min because Li Juan was more close and attached to Lee Tae Min than him.
But she made sure to clarify his doubt.
"I was wondering what made Tang Wei Sheng think that his childhood sweetheart will leave him for a younger boy. After all, you guys grew up together."
Liang shared his opinions on Tang Wei Sheng's attitude with Li Juan and those who are close to her.
"He knew that he is the only boy you would ever have a conversation and still he beats up kids from other schools."
Liang looked at Li Juan with a smug smile.
"You know all these things! It is impossible!"
Li Juan's eyes were wide with shock.
These incidents happened seven years ago and how come he know about this?
Is he also an alumnus from Silver Oak High school?
No wonder he looked so familiar.
But why there is no memory of a student named Dai Liang?
or
Does his name belong to the forgotten memories from seven years ago?