11 Virtues A Hero's Civilian Friend Must Uphold (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8
People’s reactions were generally the same once they learned where Na Eun’s house was and what company her parents ran.
How much allowance do you get? Do you really have a swimming pool at home? Do you throw parties often?
At least those questions were innocent enough, and Na Eun usually answered them comfortably.
Her allowance was 100,000 won after deducting fixed essentials like transportation and meals; there was no swimming pool at home, and she’d hardly ever attended a party.
Everyone would be surprised by that answer.
For someone from a chaebol family everyone had heard of, her allowance was just that?
When they asked if she used a credit card with no spending limit, Na Eun would inwardly scoff.
A credit card? Yeah, right.
If she ran out of allowance this month, she had to borrow from next month’s—but even that required begging her mother.
“We have money, but that doesn’t mean you do,” her mother always told her gently yet firmly, and thanks to that strict upbringing, Na Eun could effortlessly mingle with friends even after enrolling in a regular high school.
When everyone wore the same uniform and sat in the same classroom, everyone truly seemed equal; not only her friends but even Na Eun herself often forgot she came from a wealthy household.
But sometimes, moments like this reminded her.
Glancing around the banquet hall filled with dignitaries she’d only ever seen in the news, Na Eun secretly marveled to herself.
So our family really is that rich.
If Seung Joo or Seon Jin heard her say that, they’d call her annoying and slap her on the back.
Her parents’ acquaintance’s wedding was held at Seoul’s most famous hotel. Normally, they didn’t bother bringing their daughter to such events, but this time Na Eun had insisted on coming.
She’d heard that an idol Seon Jin liked would be performing the wedding song.
If things went well, maybe she could even get an autograph? Seon Jin was resting at home, recovering from leg injuries sustained during her last counter-terrorism mission.
Na Eun thought bringing her favorite singer’s autograph when visiting might cheer her up, so she kept watch beside her parents, waiting for the perfect opportunity.
But the banquet hall was far more crowded than she’d expected, and Soo Hyun and Seok Hoon seemed overwhelmed greeting their acquaintances.
Moreover, attention suddenly turned to Na Eun herself—since she rarely attended such events—and she had to busily greet unfamiliar adults who approached her.
After moving about for a while and managing to make impressions on most of the adult guests, Na Eun slipped out of the hall, using the restroom as an excuse.
She figured that since the singer performing was famous, they might have been given a private waiting room, so she set out to look.
Though she’d visited this hotel a few times before, its vast, complex layout had her lost several times over.
Just as she walked down a hallway, she spotted someone at the far end and quickly turned around.
“Hello.”
“…….”
“Hello?”
“…….”
“You saw me, right? Or not?”
The other person must have noticed her too, because soon they were trailing behind her. Annoyed but resigned, Na Eun finally stopped walking.
This place was crawling with her parents’ acquaintances.
She’d just spent time introducing herself to everyone, so causing a scene here would only embarrass her parents.
She asked as politely as she could manage.
“What?”
“You’re awfully cold.”
Did I do something wrong back then? She disliked his smug tone even before he spoke.
Na Eun considered ignoring him, but then a sudden thought made her frantically scan her surroundings. The man watched her with amusement.
“What?”
“What’s your business here today?”
Why are you here? Knowing who he really was, Na Eun’s expression darkened—what if he was about to launch an attack right here?
Hee Won chuckled softly at her vivid, anxious imagination.
“We have private lives too. Can’t you tell by my outfit?”
Only then did Na Eun look him over from head to toe. His semi-formal attire clearly marked him as a wedding guest.
His earrings remained unchanged, making him slightly out of place, yet they suited his tall, model-like frame all too well.
As she silently stared at him—like a figure stepped right out of a fashion magazine—he seemed to suddenly realize something.
“Oh, so you’re the daughter Mrs. Kim kept urging me to meet properly.”
Na Eun instantly remembered.
Earlier, an older woman introduced as her mother’s acquaintance had taken both her hands and repeatedly expressed regret that her son had stepped away briefly, saying how much she wanted to introduce them.
No.
She really, truly hated this situation that seemed determined to entangle her.
Hee Won, on the other hand, found the petite girl—who so clearly disliked him—adorable and smiled.
If I gave her my number now, she probably wouldn’t be able to throw it away.
He was about to tease her once more when he noticed her gaze shifting past him.
Na Eun saw a woman emerge from the emergency stairwell he’d come from, pretending not to notice them as she adjusted her clothes.
Soon after, Na Eun’s eyes locked onto a lipstick stain on Hee Won’s shirt collar, and her face stiffened.
“……Seriously, the things you get mixed up in.”
The words slipped out before she could stop them, but Na Eun decided she no longer needed to hide her disdain for him.
She turned her back on him as if refusing to associate further, and Hee Won, amused, didn’t try to stop her.
Just then—
BOOM. A tremendous blast shook the building.
Na Eun reflexively dropped to the floor, and distant screams echoed faintly in her ears.
Before she could even process what was happening, she watched crowds scatter in panic, and forced herself to stand on trembling legs.
Something crashed into the hotel building—!
Someone’s scream pierced through her ears.
It meant today’s urban terror attack in Seoul had targeted this very hotel.
As panic began clouding Na Eun’s eyes, an oddly familiar mechanical tone sounded behind her.
Beep—. Not a ringtone or vibration, but that irksome sound made Hee Won casually slip his phone back into his pocket, his expression bored.
“Thought I’d get some rest.”
His tone sounded just like an office worker grumbling about being called in on a day off.
Trudging over to where Na Eun crouched, he asked,
“You learned disaster evacuation drills at school, right?”
Taking the elevator now would be suicide. Use the stairs.
Looking up at him as he yawned openly, not even hiding his boredom while giving advice, Na Eun stammered,
“My mom… my dad…”
They’re inside.
The wedding had taken place in the hotel’s grand central hall, and she knew the impact would have hit that space hardest—which sent her spiraling into panic.
But the man tilted his head as if entirely unsympathetic to her distress.
So,
“You want me to save them?”
“…….”
He sneered.
“Are your parents the only people here?”
“…….”
“How selfish.”
His look of contempt, as if regarding some insignificant insect, made her chest tighten.
You’re supposed to be a hero. Heroes don’t say things like that.
The retort rose to her throat, but shame swallowed it back.
Because he was right. Countless people had gathered here for the wedding.
There were more than enough others who needed saving—far beyond just her parents.
I have to find Mom and Dad myself.
Gathering all her strength into her shaking legs, she stood.
Hee Won watched indifferently as the hem of her pink dress rushed past him down the corridor, then yawned lazily where he stood.
Ugh, how annoying.
Even with the screams of the dying and injured reaching his superhuman hearing from afar, Hee Won muttered this with utterly bored eyes.
Finding her parents amidst the hotel’s sudden chaos wasn’t easy.
Panic erupted as crowds rushing for the stairs collided with those desperately trying to squeeze into elevators.
Ah!
Trying to enter the hall, Na Eun stumbled and fell after colliding with someone fleeing. She let out a small groan, but no one paid her any mind.
Survival now depended on pulling herself together, no matter what.
Staggering to her feet, Na Eun pushed through the crowd and finally made it into the hall.
The once-elegant space had become a nightmare—round tables toppled like dominoes, rolling wildly as guests stampeded.
As Na Eun desperately called out for her parents amid the chaos, a horrifying sight met her eyes.
“Help me…….”
Hearing the faint plea accompanied by a weak groan, Na Eun hurried toward the end of the bridal path.
There, pinned helplessly under a collapsed statue, lay the bride in her white gown.
Horrified that every guest had fled and abandoned even the bride, Na Eun reached out to lift the heavy sculpture crushing the woman’s legs.
But no matter how hard she strained, the impossibly heavy statue—made of who-knew-what—didn’t budge even a centimeter.
The bride’s pristine white dress began turning red from the wounds beneath the weight.
As Na Eun’s face paled in horror, a dragging sound approached along with footsteps.
Could it be rescue teams? Hopeful, she turned her head—only for her expression to darken further.
“Oh my, look—two pretty girls here.”
A woman wearing a mask and hat approached them with a smile—but Na Eun couldn’t smile back.
There were twelve known heroes active worldwide, all dressed identically.
This woman wore neither their uniform nor that of firefighters or soldiers.
That left only one possibility.
Bang—. A decisive gunshot echoed through the hall, and the bride beneath the statue died instantly.
The woman, having just shot a hole cleanly through the bride’s head, calmly sat down on a chair she’d dragged along and looked down at Na Eun.
“Nice to meet you, miss.”
Hey, I’m waiting for someone and feeling bored. Wanna play with me for a bit?
Na Eun couldn’t answer. Her vacant gaze remained fixed on the bride who had been alive just moments before.
The sight of a person alive thirty minutes ago now lying cold and lifeless made Na Eun retch uncontrollably.
“Oh dear, you’ve got a weak stomach.” The woman even patted Na Eun’s back sympathetically—before grabbing her hair and yanking her head backward.
Ah—! The sharp pain made Na Eun gasp, but only briefly before a gun barrel pressed against her throat.
“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you.”
A strangely unconvincing reassurance, coming from someone holding a gun to her neck.
Terrified, Na Eun squeezed her eyes shut—and just as the woman’s amused giggles began echoing around her, a gust of wind swept through from somewhere.
Na Eun opened her eyes as the gun aimed at her throat was abruptly knocked away with a crunching sound.
And there, before her eyes—something she’d never felt before—stood a mountain-like back.
“…….”
—Seon Jin.
Tears welled in Na Eun’s eyes as she swallowed the name she couldn’t bring herself to say aloud.
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Wow! Finally a glimpse of the Center Directors scolding >.<