Chapter 21 - What Happens When You Spill Tea?

The next morning when Tang Wei Sheng woke up the first thing he did was to search for Li Juan. Last night they had opened up their true feelings about each other. It was not just a conversation, it showed their reliance upon each other.

How much they trusted each other.

Even though Li Juan did not directly emphasize on her views about being in a relationship, Tang Wei Sheng could understand her worries and expectations about him and their possible future.

Though she confessed her love, Li Juan was allowing him to get to know the real Li Juan and decide whether to stay in a relationship with her or to leave her. She tried to be practical about their relationship.

Love isn't always happiness and fun, it tests our perseverance and commitment we gave for a building and maintaining a relationship. Especially when you love a person with a painful past, it takes time and effort to make them happy.

Tang Wei Sheng was shocked to hear about what happened to Li Juan, but he didn't think twice to accept her just like the way she is.

How can Tang Wei Sheng reject Li Juan when she was the only woman who bewitched his soul and body?

All they left to do is to take their relationship into another level, more like a title of "officially dating".

When Tang Wei Sheng came back after a shower, Mrs Zhao was in the room to wake him up.

"Young master, you already woke up?" Housekeeper exclaimed.

"Good morning Mrs Zhao." Tang Wei Sheng greeted her and took the coffee from her." Yeah, I woke up earlier. Where is Li Juan? Did she wake up?"

"Miss Li is watering the plants."

"Okay," Tang Wei Sheng sipped his morning coffee.

"Mrs Zhao, who all are in your family?" Tang Wei Sheng asked her.

"I have a son and a daughter." Mrs Zhao replied. "Their father died in an accident a few years ago."

"Oh, I am sorry for your loss Mrs Zhao. Where does your family live? Are they all live in Xi city?" Tang Wei Sheng was curious.

"Yes, young master. My children go to a boarding school in Jing City and since they are having holidays they are staying with their grandmother."

"Mrs Zhao, you can take leave today and visit your family." Tang Wei Sheng told her.

"But young master chairman instructed me to stay here and take care of you." Mrs Zhao was equally surprised and worried.

"I'll tell grandpa, Tang Wei Sheng assured her. Since we are leaving tomorrow I am planning to go out for dinner with the employees. So it is alright for you to take a break." Tang Wei Sheng told her.

"Okay, young master. I will take leave once I prepare lunch."

"Mrs Zhao, Tang Wei Sheng took some money from his purse, get your children something for New Year,"

Mrs Zhao looked at Tang Wei Sheng with teary surprised eyes.

"How old are your children?"

"eldest one is in senior high and the youngest one in junior high."

"Convey my New year greetings to your family," He gave her the money without even counting.

"Thank you, young master." Mrs Zhao thanked him and went outside.

Tang Wei Sheng walked towards the balcony with the coffee cup.

The cool gush of mountain wind sends chills to his face, the weather was still cold and foggy.

Tang Wei Sheng looked towards the greenhouse in the garden and saw Li Juan. She was watering the plants.

He observed her and found that she was barefooted. Why is she not wearing any shoes in this chilling morning?

Li Juan was talking to the plants. She was examining them and was conversing with them like real people.

It looked cute. He knew that Li Juan likes flowers and plants but he never realized that she treats them as friends.

She was wearing a simple violet dress and a purple sweater. She looked like a newly bloomed flower among all the plants in the greenhouse.

Upon feeling someone's stare Li Juan examined her surroundings and found smiling Tang Wei Sheng in the balcony. She waved her hand and signalled him to come down. He immediately went downstairs and walked towards the garden in poise.

"Good morning Wei Sheng Ge." She greeted him with a smile.

"Do you take this as your home sweetheart? You are doing all the house chores." Tang Wei Sheng chuckled.

"I like gardening. I always wanted to have a big garden at home." She smiled and continued to spray the water to the plants.

"Then I will join you." Tang Wei Sheng hugged her from behind and took the sprayer from her hands.

"What are you doing Mr CEO?" Li Juan asked him.

"Well, I am watering plants with my girlfriend."

"If someone sees," Li Juan was worried.

"Only we are here."

"What about Mrs Zhao?"

"I told her to take one day leave."

Suddenly Li Juan's cell phone rang. She wiped her hands and took the call. It was from Qiao Chu.

"Congratulations Chu," Li Juan congratulated the moment she picked up the call.

"Thank you Jie, how did you know about it?" Qiao Chu was surprised.

"I was sure that you will get selected this time. Where are you?"

"I am at home, wait a minute. I will give it to mom."

"Ah Juan, how are you, my child?"

"I am absolutely fine, aunty. What about you?"

"I am good. When are you going to return?"

"I will return soon."

"I am going home for the New Year celebrations. Will you be able to come with us?" Mei Rong asked Li Juan.

For the past two years, Li Juan celebrated all the festivals and new years with Mei Rong's family.

"I," Li Juan looked at Tang Wei Sheng for a moment. "I am not sure aunty; I will ask my superior and let you know."

"Try to come, even on the New Year day. Grandma is asking for you and Chu."

"I will try Aunty, I miss grandma too."

"When are you leaving Aunty?" Li Juan asked her.

"Tomorrow,"

"You will have so many things to do. I will end the call now. Take care of your health."

"You too,"

Li Juan ended her conversation.

"Who was that?" Tang Wei Sheng who was listening to your conversation asked her.

"Do you remember Qiao Chu?"

"Oh, how can I forget that overprotective little brother of yours?" Tang Wei Sheng clearly remembered the lanky boy who always acted like Li Juan's bodyguard whenever some boys appear near Li Juan.

"He is a basket player now and he called me to tell that he got selected in the national team."

"Wow. That is great. He must be playing in the point guard position."

"yes," there was a surprise in Li Juan's face. "How did you know?"

"I knew that he is good at guarding and disrupting the opposition's main ball-handler."

"You saw him playing?"

"No, I have experienced it myself." Tang Wei Sheng said with a smile. "He didn't even allow a single boy to come closer to you."

Li Juan giggled upon Tang Wei Sheng's explanation.

"Qiao Chu and Aunt Mei are like a family to me. Every year we go to the village to celebrate the New Year. Aunty was asking me whether I will be able to join them on New Year eve."

"Do you want to go?" Tang Wei Sheng asked Li Juan.

"Hmm." Li Juan hummed, they are the only people who treat her as a part of their family.

"We will go together," Tang Wei Sheng suggested.

"Huh," Li Juan was surprised for a moment. "No, no you don't have to come with me."

"Why?"

"It's lunar New Year, and everyone was supposed to be with their family."

"Am I not your family?" Tang Wei Sheng asked her in a sulky voice.

"What are you going to say to your parents, if you skip New Year meal?"

"I will say that my girlfriend invited me to introduce her family."

"Shoo...Li Juan put her finger on his lips."

"Don't say that."

"Like what?"

"Don't try to give a heart attack for people." Li Juan was completely against the idea of telling their family about each other as soon as they started dating.

"Let's take things slowly." Li Juan suggested.

"No, I want it quickly." Tang Wei Sheng replied like an adamant child.

"Wei Sheng Ge, You are being childish now."

"Yes, I am a child and you are my favourite toy." Tang Wei Sheng nuzzled her ear.

"Ahhh," Li Juan tried to move away from his embrace. Tang Wei Sheng held her tightly.

"Promise me, that this is going to be the last New Year which you are going to celebrate with them." Tang Wei Sheng whispered on to her ears.

"Promise me that, from next year onwards you are going to celebrate all the new years with me."

Li Juan turned to face him.

"I promise." Li Juan locked her pinkie finger with his finger and sealed the promise.

Tang Wei Sheng left to the regional office after having breakfast. He wanted to stay back and help Li Juan to decipher the map.

But Li Juan persuaded him to go to work. There is no need to take leave.

After Tang Wei Sheng left the mansion, Li Juan went to her room and took out the jade box. The route map was drawn on a piece of cloth and there was only a single character was written in it.

It looked like an alphabet more than a route map. It looked like pictogram for "to come". There were two horizontal lines – an upper smaller line and a lower line arc. There was a vertical line which passed through the arcs. From the middle of the bigger arc, two lines diverged to the sides.

The monk was right, it is only a route map in the right hands and for others, it is a puzzle.

Li Juan was searching for an hour without taking a break. She started to feel a thrumming pain on her temples. It was a signal of overworking. She put down the map and went downstairs to get medicine. She found Mrs Zhao in the kitchen cutting the vegetables.

"Miss Li, do you need anything?" She asked Li Juan.

"Mrs Zhao, I thought you took a day leave."

"Yes, miss. Young master permitted me to go and visit my family. I will go once after preparing your lunch."

"Oh, that's nice. Convey my regards to your family. Mrs Zhao do we have any medicines for the headache?" Li Juan asked her. Her headache was getting worse.

"Headache? I will get you a cup of chamomile tea, it will help to soothe the pain."

"Thank you, Mrs Zhao."

"Please wait for two minutes." Mrs Zhao asked Li Juan to wait and went to make tea. Li Juan sat in the chair. Suddenly the telephone rang and she took the call. It was from Tang Wei Sheng.

"Sweetheart, what are you doing?"

"I was deciphering the code and I came down to take a break."

"Then how's it going? Did you make any improvements?"

"Not yet." Li Juan said in a sad tone.

"Hey, it's okay. Take your time. Actually, I need a favour from you."

"Tell me."

"I've left an important document on my study table. Can you scan it and mail me?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay then. I will try to come back as soon as possible."

"Yes, take care." They ended the telephone conversation.

Li Juan went to Tang Wei Sheng's room and found the document on the table. She took the file and scanned it and mailed it.

"Miss Li, you are here?" Suddenly Mrs Zhao came with tea.

"CEO Tang needed some documents. I came looking for that," Li Juan explained to Mrs Zhao.

"Here is your tea, drink it before it gets cold." Mrs Zhao gave her the ceramic teapot and the cup.

Li Juan thanked her and went back to her room.

She poured a cup of tea for herself and the whole room was filled with the gentle floral smell. Inhaling the smell itself put Li Juan into a good mood.

Li Juan took a sip while examining the route map.

"Ahhh, it is hot..." Li Juan spat the tea the moment she took a sip.

The tea was hot and it burned Li Juan's tongue.

She immediately placed on the table and because of the force, the tea got spilt over the map.

"Oh god." Li Juan immediately stood up and carefully took the route map from the desk.

The Linen cloth which is used to draw map has got wet and the ink began to spread.

"Oh no," Li Juan shook off the tea from the cloth and ran towards the balcony.

She kept the route map in the sunlight to dry.

"Please don't spread." Li Juan prayed.

But there was no use, the ink began to spread all over the cloth like an ink wash painting.

"Here it goes," Li Juan looked at the Ink spreading over a thousand-year-old treasure.

There is a superstition - if you spill tea, a stranger is about to visit you.

what happens when you spill tea over ten years worth hard work and efforts?

Professor Han or teammates either one of them will kill Li Juan and A stranger will definitely visit her.

A stranger wearing black clothes and hooded cloak

A stranger who is commonly known as Grim reaper!!!!