Ring...ring,

Yang Xiong glanced at the phone which has been lying abandoned on the dashboard and the man who was leaned back on the passenger seat with a desolate look on his face.

The phone has been ringing continuously for the last ten minutes, however there wasn't any response from its owner who sat like a statue.

Annoyed by the noise of ringtone, Yang Xiong decided to notify the man who shut his eyes and ears to the outer world.

"Boss, your phone has been-"

"Switch it off," Tang Wei Sheng ordered in a low voice.

Yang Xiong let out a huff and decided to break the awkward silence lingering inside the car.

"I understood that you don't want to go home, but at least pick up the call and let your family know that you are not attending the party," He advised in an annoyed tone.

"I've already told them that there is no need to arrange a party and still they went on with it,"Tang Wei Sheng explained without opening his eyes.

"It's your birthday,"

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me," He scoffed and continued to recline on the seat.

Witnessing his impassive nature, Yang Xiong decided to stop pestering his boss with his questions. For the past three months, Tang Wei Sheng appeared distant and detached from everyone. He even stopped going to his ancestral home and visiting his family. His daily life has been confined to the his office and his condominium.

Tang Wei Sheng who was known for his radiant personality was no where to see.

"Do you remember last year also, chairman made me searching for you in order to celebrate your birthday," Yang Xiong tried to initiate a conversation, "I even had to cancel my date,"

Tang Wei Sheng faintly smiled and turned to face Yang Xiong who was on the driving seat,

"Sister in law must have hated me,"

"Hey she is not a person who easily gets irritated," Yang Xiong's lips curled upwards as he talked about his fiance, "She is playschool teacher...her patience is as vast as the pacific ocean,"

"I am really happy that you are getting married," Tang Wei Sheng said and let out a sigh, "Whenever I go home, everyone starts persuading me into matchmaking and God, I still hate it,"

He stared at the street lights on the sides of the road,

"Last year on this day I have met Li Juan at the party and this year, instead of her it was her boyfriend whom I've came across,"

"Hmmm,"

"They moved in together and planning to get married," Tang Wei Sheng said with an indifferent face,

"Did he arranged the meeting to tell you this?" Yang Xiong arched a brow in disdain. He was totally against the idea of meeting with CEO Lee aka Li Juan's current boyfriend. No matter how nice he looks, Lee Tae Yang was the person with whom Li Juan cheated his boss.

"No. He advised me to get medical help," Tang Wei Sheng casually said,

Hearing his nonchalant words, Yang Xiong applied the break abruptly.

"Did Miss Li told him about your condition?" He sounded agitated. Yang Xiong not even expected in his wildest dreams that Li Juan will reveal Tang Wei Sheng's secret to someone else. "Did he threaten to disclose the details to the media?"

"Hey....actually he knows everything... everything that has been invisible to my eyes," Tang Wei Sheng waited for a moment to recollect his conversation with Lee Tae Yang,

"He knows who are the real culprits behind the murder attempts to end Li Juan's life,"

"He told you?"

"He asked me to find out myself," Tang Wei Sheng sniggered,

"So are you going to look for it?" Yang Xiong's eyes narrowed. He couldn't understand why his boss is still hung upon someone like Li Juan, who brings nothing but agony,

"Young master, there is no point in finding culprits now. It happened years ago and Miss Li has moved on with her life," He tried to convince Tang Wei Sheng,

"Not to mention that, she is not the girl whom you loved and wished to protect. She is the young miss of Bai corporation...she have a family now and it is better that you don't get involved with miss Li anymore,"

"You know how happy was she on the day, I proposed her...she literally broke into tears when she saw the ring," Tang Wei Sheng blurted the words which has been meddling with his mind,

"We were planning to move in together and out of nowhere, the dating rumors with Ning Jing surfaced. While I was being busy with to avoid the engagement, they tried to kill her. Even after her real identity, the queen of Yu palace was revealed in front of everyone, they still tried to kill her,"

"If someone is trying to end miss Li's life, then her family will take care of it. You don't have to"

"Bro Yang, you are not getting the point here," Tang Wei Sheng sit straight and faced his assistant who has become a friend and elder brother for him.

"Li Juan got hurt whenever she tried to get closer to me, or whenever I tried to get close to her,"

Yang Xiong stared back with a doubtful expression.

"Their target is not Li Juan...It's me," Tang Wei Sheng's voice had an unnatural weight of fury as he contemplated over.

"What are you saying? How is that even possible..you are the young master of Tang family...how can someone dare to harm you?" Yang Xiong was in utter disbelief.

"It is someone who knows me...who knows everything about me, including my illness...someone who is well aware of the fact that Li Juan is mine as well as Wei Lang's weakest point,"

"But young master, there are only few people who knew about your condition,"

"Bro Yang, do you remember the day when you met me and Li Juan for the first time?" Tang Wei Sheng asked Yang Xiong.

Of course, Yang Xiong remembers the day which changed his life. Before becoming Tang Wei Sheng's assistant he was working on petty jobs to meet the two ends of lives. While he was working as a waiter in a shady club in the downtown of Jing city, he came across with a boy who was fighting against a group of thugs all of his own for a girl who was kept as a hostage. He saved that girl and helped the boy to get into a nearby hospital. Only next day he found that the boy whom he saved was the young master of a wealthy family and he had a split personality which makes him a violet and murderous.

"You said that Li Juan ran away from the hospital bed, when she figured out about my illness. But something else happened over there, something which is only Li Juan and Wei Lang knew," Tang Wei Sheng gulped before continue to talk without hiding his guilt,

"He tried to molest her..."

Yang Xiong widened his eyes as if he heard something horrifying,

"Even I was unaware of it until Li Juan told about her horrific encounter with Wei Lang. However, what made me more distressed that something happened after two days of that incident. Someone wrote in our students forum that "He acted like a stranger and took advantage of me,". Do you know what's that meaning?"

When Ahn Lu Shan told him about Li Juan and her accusations about Tang Wei Sheng on sexual abuse, Yang Xiong was did search more about the rumors appeared on the student forum. Since it was something which happened eight years ago, he couldn't find anything reliable.

"Even though nothing has happened to Li Juan, someone purposefully dragged me and Li Juan into it. Since I have planned to leave the city by that time, she was forced to bear the blame,"

"Since I was unaware all the rumors and bullying which led Li Juan to quit the school, went on search for her whenever I came over for vacations...When I found that she lives in S city they tried to kill her again and again.

They clearly knew that it is nearly impossible to kill me...so they used Li Juan and tried to broke me apart so that I will end my life with my own hands.

They used Li Juan as a bait only because she loved me...since she had no one, they tortured her...they ruined her life,

I know that she have a family now, with their influence they can look for the perpetrators and punish them. But I am the sole reason for her sufferings...If I hesitate now and let it go..the perpetrators behind all these crime, they will continues to live behind the shadow and deceive me. I have to find them at any cost," Tang Wei Sheng's face had a serious look as he concluded,

"If all these were aimed towards you, then it might have already came into the notice of your family," Yang Xiong fixed his glass and stated,

"Actually senior Ahn once said that Chairman used to believe that Li Juan purposefully created the rumors and tried to trash your name. That's why he asked senior Ahn to block all the news related to miss Li from reaching you and your sister,"

"If uncle Ahn knows about the rumors, then he must have dug out every single person who is associated with it," Tang Wei Sheng's eyes brightened as he requested in a unflinching voice,

"Brother Yang, let's go and meet Uncle Ahn,"

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

When Lee Tae Yang reached the penthouse after his works, he saw a sulky looking Li Juan waiting for him on the couch. She was actually talking to some one over phone call.

He glanced at his watch and checked the time, it was half past eight in the night.

Well, he was a little bit late because of the traffic, is that why she is upset?

Lee Tae Yang loosened his neck tie and rolled up his sleeves before settling down next to the girl who was snuggling on to the cushions with a pair of pouty lips.

He gently leaned on Li Juan's lap and looked at her face which had a dead pan expression as she replied with short answers to the person who was on the call.

When Li Juan's eyes came into contact with the bright smile on his face, she lowered her head to give a quick peck on his forehead,

Lee Tae Yang silently waited for her to finish the phone call,

"What's with a long face?"

" Ahh... its nothing," Li Juan tenderly brushed his neatly combed hair,

"Why do I feel that there is something?" He inquired,

"Grandpa asked me to get come home....next week," She reluctantly said, "I will be out of town for almost for a week,"

"You are hesitating to leave....perhaps because of me?"

She replied with a nod,

"My grandpa also asked me to get home for lunar year. I won't be home either," He chimed and covered her hand which was resting on his chest. "Didn't you tell you it is your first year as the Queen...so there may be some special functions..especially since you are the lunar maiden,"

"Will you come with me?" She asked, all of sudden,

"I really want to...but I haven't visited grandpa last year...so he is little upset, so I have to go and curry him,"

"Ahh then it is okay. I will go alone,"

"Let's do something, from here we can go to east sea island together. And I will drop you home before going to H city," He suggested,

"East sea island?" Li Juan raised her eyebrows in query,

"It is one of the place which you like the most and we can actually treat as a vacation trip," He said and raised from her lap to sit straight, tangling her fingers with his,

"What about your work?"

"I told you I am on leave," He smiled haughtily and leaned closer to steal a kiss from her lips,

When their lips were about to touch, he abruptly stopped and knocked on her forehead,

"Let me shower first and I will feed you whatever you want," He untangled her long slender fingers and made a decision in his mind,

Soon or later, Tang Wei Sheng will know the truth and come looking for Li Juan.

He was sure that st this point of their relationship, Li Juan will not choose anyone but Lee Tae Yang...however in order to keep his mind at ease, he must propose her and make their relationship official,