The Free Bird

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

Li Juan looked at Tang Wei Sheng' 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 the definitely the man she once loved.

Tang Wei Sheng has been observing Li Juan's hostile behaviour since she woke up from the sedation, and he realised something.

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, he failed in controlling his inner beast.

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

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

Guilt spread over Tang Wei Sheng's face as he listened to her question. It is over, Li Juan hates me now.

He moved closer to her, and tried to touch her cheeks.

She ducked from 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 firmly.

"Stay away from me." Li Juan didn't think twice to order.

Tang Wei Sheng was silent for a moment. For some reason he also felt that it was a decent decision as for now.

" 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 were indeed harsh and Tang Wei Sheng couldn't help but smile bitterly at her remark. How much does she hates him to speak such rash words?

It's because of that monster! Tang Wei Sheng felt his brain is going to explode in anger as he tried to think of his alter ego.

"You loved me for ten years, and a 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 as he spoke. However, Li Juan didn't hold back. She retorted in the same time as him.

"What if you get replaced with someone else?" Li Juan glared directly into his eyes and asked him as she strongly believed that it was Tang Wei Sheng who stood before her.

"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.

The moment Li Juan heard him addressing her as his moon, a bolt of chil ran down her spine.

It is Tang Wei Lang!!!

How random is he changing his personalities?

Just a moment ago she was talking to Tang Wei Sheng, and now it's that monster.

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

Tang Wei Sheng patted her cheeks with a devilish grin before walking out from the room, leaving a confused Li Juan behind.

Li Juan felt her mind was muddled with everything she had witnessed just now. But she was sure of one thing.

It was true, Tang Wei Sheng did love Ning Jing, or at least cared about her well-being.

And the one who loved Li Juan was none other than his alter ego.

Why didn't she thinks of that possibility?

Tang Wei Sheng had split personality and there is a chance that 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 be Tang Wei Sheng who has suffered like a puppet in someone else's hands. He was forced to love her.

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.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Li Juan frantically 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?"

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

Li Juan said as she gave Lee Tae Min's contact number to the nurse. At this moment , the person who can help her was Lee Tae Min.

Within 30 minutes after the phone call was made, Lee Tae Min was at the hospital. The moment he saw Li Juan in hospital gown, he went speechless in shock.

"Tae Minah," Li Juan tried to explain.

"Don't call me like that!" Lee Tae Min shouted unlike his usual calm self.

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

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

"You didn't show up at lab 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 after a sudden outburst of emotions.

"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 as he spoke.

Li Juan took a sigh.

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

"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, right?"

"No, I've decided."

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

"Let me go to the office and ask about discharging you." He said while juggling with excitement.

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

"I have something to tell you."

"What is it Noona?"

"The reason why I am here …" she hesitated for a moment as if she was scared about the consequences of her confession.

"It is because of Tang Wei Sheng."

"Tang Wei Sheng? Did he try to hurt you again?" Lee Tae Min's glee got replaced with anger in a split second. "Just because he holds power as an investor of our project?"

"It is not what you are thinking of." Li Juan took a deep breath and corrected him.

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

Li Juan looked for shock on Lee Tae Min's face. However, there wasn't any change of expression. He was calmer than ever as if he knew it before.

"I had my doubts, but Noona! He is engaged." He reminded the woman who just opened up about her feelings.

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

But, I loved him." Li Juan stopped for a moment as if she was catching her breath.

" 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," She wanted to correct herself but lacked the courage to do so.

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 was concerned 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 started to well up 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." She made her decision.

"Do you think CEO Tang would stay still and watch you leave?" Lee Tae Min's question was valid and struck her hard.

" Noona, stop being a coward."

" I've decided, once I am done with the expedition, I am leaving this place." Li Juan let out scoff. " After all, I don't have anyone left here"

"What about me?" Lee Tae Min asked her suddenly with a gloomy eyes. "Are you going to leave me too?"

"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 sounded extremely genuine as he spoke," 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 utmost care.

"Tae Minah, I am happy that you said these to me. I appreciate it a lot." She stopped in mid sentence when she remembered something.

"Let's stop being a coward, Lili, be bold." She 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."