Chapter 146 - Soul City

Tae Yang leaned on the wall and leisurely looked at the woman who was fuming with anger. Her cold ink-black eyes throwing daggers at him, every time he brings up the topic of marriage. 

"We did nothing yesterday, yet you are threatening me," Li Juan seethed,

"Who told you that we did nothing? A haughty smile hung open his lips as he shrugged his shoulders, "we did so many things...all night."

"Do you want me to believe that?" She let out a sneer and continued, "If a beastly man like you did it all night, I may not be able to wake up and jolt around,"

Tae Yang was left dumbfounded when he heard her words,

Only he knows who he managed to control himself from breaking his morals.

The self-discipline he earned by years of military training and his innate patience and nonchalant attitude was left in smithereens on her blazing fire. 

And she is complaining that he did nothing to her?

She was on fire and he was the one who got burnt.

Looking at his bewildered face, Li Juan was lost for a moment. She unknowingly made a comment on his skills in bed, 

"Go die, you dumb lily!!!!" She cursed inwardly.

"It seems like you have wildest expectations about me," His lips curled into a sexy smile," I will make sure to live up to your expectations next time, Miss Bai" 

"Why are behaving like this? I was drugged and did something which I am not supposed to do, you were wide awake at that time. Why didn't you stop me? You took advantage of me while I am being weak," Li Juan tried to justify whatever she did to him last night.

"Weak!!! who?" He snickered, "you bit me like a ferocious beast and marked me yours. I have never shared a bed with a woman and you...you...seduced me to sleep with you...," Tae Yang tried to put all the blame on Li Juan who was nearing to a mental breakdown, "Only because I have refrained myself and shut my ears to your pleas, you are able to stand before me and question my-"

"What do you want me to do now?" Li Juan asked in a firm tone, "You want me to change, ah. fine I will do it."

Not in her twenty-six years of life, no one has ever got onto Li Juan's nerves like the way he did,

"Wear something warm," Tae Yang ordered as he continued to lean on to the wall, like a piece of artwork.

All this argument was just to make her wear something warm?

Li Juan stared at the man who was dressed up as a model for a suit commercial. He was wearing a black trench coat over his black fitted tailored suit with a white dress shirt meticulously fastened up to his collar.

Isn't it bit over? 

He layered the clothes too much for a coastal city like S city which had a warmer climate. 

Li Juan's mouth twitched as she threw back her head and returned to her suite room to change. 

"Are you planning to become a security guard? Wait inside," 

Tae Yang followed her to the room like a loyal servant following the master and took a seat on the couch. 

"I won't take much time," Li Juan chimed as she vanished into her dressing room.

Tae Yang smiled softly at her leaving back, wondering about how easily Li Juan agreed to his demands on the fear of her family.

She created a ruckus for simply spending a night with him in the same room. How is she going to react when she gets to know that they were together for countless nights?

He was planning to reveal the truth as soon as she wakes up, but who would know that she got no memory of last night and already assumed that they did the deed on drunken stupor?

She asked him to consider as a one-night stand,

He just played along, no matter what, he has made the decision to take her home and introduce to his family, not as the young miss of Bai family...but as Li Juan, his first love.

Li Juan came back practically wearing the same clothes, 

However, she did make some changes in her overall look,

She meticulously straightened her signature curly hair and painted her plumps lips in wine red making to more attractive.

She wore a beige trench coat over her clothes and even changed into a pair of two-inch pump heels.

"All good?" picking up her handbag from the table Li Juan asked,

"Yes, where is your passport?" He asked her,

Li Juan rummaged in her bag and took out her passport, "Do I need a passport for domestic travel?"

"We are crossing the borders," He said with an expressionless face,

"Huh, where does your family lives?"

"K country," He casually said, "Let's go, our flight is in an hour,"

Even before Li Juan could say something, Tae Yang dragged her out of the room.

"Are you really taking me to your family?" Li Juan asked in doubt,

What if he is taking her to some other place and do something evil? What if he is taking her as a hostage, a kidnap perhaps, Li Juan's mind fell into chaos,

Looking at her troubled face Tae Yang pressed her palm in assurance,

"If I want to harm you, I would have done it yesterday," His voice sounded resolute as he continued to stare into her deep black eyes, "You are safe with me,"

For some reasons, Li Juan felt that his words eased her mind. The warmth radiating from his palm brought a sense of security.

She nodded in agreement and walked hand in hand with him.

"Aunt Li, I am taking Xiao Li home, as I promised," Tae Yang looked at the blue sky and said internally,

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

Soul City, 

Li Juan was immersed in the views of the busy streets of soul city like a curious kid on a picnic. It was the first time she was travelling to a foreign country. Tae Yang explained every single landmark they came across to her with even more interest.

Park Ji-Sung, Tae Yang's assistant looked at the couple with a warm smile. 

In the morning when he called his boss to warn about the consequences of ditching the blind date arranged by his family, not in his wildest dreams, Park Jisung had imagined that boss will bring the person who he was dying to meet all these years.

His lady boss, 

As soon as the car entered into a large mansion in the suburban region of the city, a place where the wealthy families of soul city lived,

Li Juan was left awestruck, sometimes she just forgets that she is the young miss of Bai family and become the old Li Juan.

She stared at the mansion was situated in a vast compound. It was so huge that it even had a golf course and horse stable.

"You are rich," Li Juan commented unknowingly,

"No, my family is rich," Tae Yang corrected her with a smile,

"Well, It doesn't make any difference," She retorted, "So this your father's house and General Guan is your maternal grandfather?" She asked to confirm the details which Tae Yang already shared with her, back in flight.

Tae Yang led her to the entrance and two finely dressed maids came to welcome them.

"Good afternoon first Young master, welcome, Miss,"

"Did everyone reached?" He asked with a faint smile,

"Sir and Madam are on the way"

Li Juan who doesn't know the language gaped them in silence. If Tae Yang said it earlier that he is taking her to K country, she would have made an attempt to learn the language.

As soon as they entered the mansion, Li Juan looked at the interior design and the different paintings kept in the room. It oozed class and elegance. It felt like she was entered into a modern palace.

"Take a seat," Tae Yang offered her seat as he helped her to remove the trench coat.

Even before Li Juan could a sit, a golden retriever ran towards them and jumped on to Tae Yang's body, scaring Li Juan out of her mind.

Tae Yang rubbed the belly of the dog with a smile and talked sweetly as if they are true friends.

Sensing Li Juan's gaze on him, Tae Yang reverted his eyes towards the woman who stood there with a startled face. 

"He is Yasook." He said to her and turned back to the dog, who was climbing onto his lap, "Yasookie, do you know who is this? This is Li Juan, say hi to her?"

Li Juan was not a dog lover, she was a bit scared of animals, so she hesitated before reaching out her hand.

"He is friendly," Tae Yang reminded her, 

Yasook smelled Li Juan and tried to snuggle onto her lap,

"Yasookie loves you,"

Li Juan gently stroked the soft fur and smiled,

"He is from S city, feel free to talk to him, he will understand," Tae Yang patted the dog and smiled warmly, after all, Yasook was Li Juan's first baby.

The cheerfulness of the living room was broken by the voices of footsteps. Li Juan raised her eyes and met with an elderly couple looking at her from the staircase. Their aura and dressing were elegant and overbearing,

"My grandparents," Tae Yang introduced them to Li Juan and bowed before the couple as a greeting,

"Good afternoon, grandpa, grandma this is Li Juan," He said in an elated tone.

"Good afternoon" Li Juan who picked up few k language words within the time, followed Tae Yang's suit and bowed before them.

"Please take a seat," His grandma said as she took the seat opposite to Li Juan, "Where are you from?"

Li Juan looked at Tae Yang for help.

"She used to live in Jing city but now she shifted to Yun city," he replied on the behalf of Li Juan.

Suddenly a couple in the middle age walked into the living room along with a girl in early twenties.

"Li Juan, this is my uncle and aunt. She is a Cha Sei ryeong, aunt's niece." Tae Yang introduced everyone to Li Juan.

"This is the first time he brings a girl home," Cha Soo Hyun, his aunt mumbled as she scanned the woman who sat with her nephew.

"She does not understand what you speak," His grandma reminded her daughter in law, "She is from C country," 

"What do you do miss Li?" The young girl spoke in clear and perfect C country language, surprising Li Juan.

"I used to be a research scholar,"

As soon as Li Juan replied, Cha Sei ryeong translated it for her family.

"You haven't tried any internship?" Cha Soo Hyun asked her with a faint frown. As a fashion designer and the CEO of the famous cloth brand, she disliked people who roamed around freely after their studies.

Tae Yang narrowed his obsidian eyes in displeasure and loosened the collar buttons unknowingly.

The love bites in his fair neck were surprisingly eye-catchy and it drew attention from everyone present there.

"Did I ask something wrong?" Cha Soo Hyun asked Li Juan.

"No, ma'am...I am in the last phase of my research. Once I'm done with the research, I am planning to go for an internship" Li Juan politely informed about her future plans,

"Research scholar...you must've studied hard," Tae Yang's uncle said with a smile. "It was rare to meet a girl who has done research nowadays,"

"Hmm. How did you met Oppa? As far as we know he is not so social," Cha Sei ryeong asked Li Juan.

"Ah," Li Juan looked at Tae Yang for a moment. 

"We met through a common friend," He again replied.

"Aha, he is only hesitant when we try to introduce someone?" His grandmother smiled bitterly,

"Miss Li, How long you have known him?" Cha Sei Ryeong asked again.

"Less than 2 months," Li Juan said without any second thoughts. 

"Less than two months and you decided to," Grandma stopped in midsentence and looked at her grandson.

"Grandma, please," Tae Yang tried to stop his grandmother," What if we have known only for two months?"

"Tae Yang, We must know everything about her," Grandmother explained. "You can't just bring some girl to this family? 

His grandpa remained silent and keen on observing the couple in front of him.

"You said you are from Jing city? Which family do you belong to? 

Who all are in your family, young lady?" His grandmother was showering Li Juan with continuous questions.

Tae Yang looked at Li Juan. Even though she became a part of the Bai family, no one could replace the void of her parents. It was a sour topic for Li Juan.

"Both of my parents passed away." Li Juan replied with a straight face.

Grandmother looked at his aunty for a moment and shifted her gaze to Tae Yang.

"Let me be frank. Do you think that you're qualified to be his girlfriend?" Cha Soo Hyun bluntly asked her.

"If you think about using him as leverage to make your way into a rich family, then the young lady I hope you would think twice," Her words had a hint of a threat.

"I want to marry her,"Suddenly Tae Yang declared.

Though Li Juan didn't understand what he just said, from their petrified face she could understand that he said something shocking.

Well, this wasn't in their plan.

"I said I want to marry Li Juan,"

Suddenly Tae Yang's phone rang. "Excuse me," He took the phone call and stood up from his seat. 

Li Juan looked at him. How can he leave her at a moment like this? 

"It is an important call, sorry..."He ruffled Li Juan's hair and smiled.

Their act has elevated into another level. Li Juan sat with a dazed expression facing all the hostile eyes of his family.

"Young lady, I am asking you once again. What he said, is that true? Are you two in a relationship?" His grandma asked her.

The whole situation felt like dejavu for Li Juan, did she experience something before? Li Juan didn't know how to handle this situation. 

Is it really hard to love a person born in a rich and prestigious family? Even if it is an act, why it is difficult for her to have a boyfriend?

Why status and family background matters in relationships? It is not her fault that she lost her parents.

All of them looked at Li Juan who was lost in thoughts.

"I need to go, there is an emergency," Tae Yang came from outside told them and took his coat.

"You called us here and you're leaving with this girl?" His uncle asked him.

"Chill uncle, I am just going to get something from the office. I will be back in an hour." Tae Yang said casually. Since he was the first grandchild in the family Tae Yang had a close relationship with his uncle.

Lee Tae Yang!!! His grandfather who was silent all the time finally spoke. 

"Lee Tae Yang?"

Li Juan looked at the man beside her. Did she hear him properly?

"Lee Tae Yang,"

Where did she hear this name before?