Instead of an answer, In-tae apologized, gripping Ye-eun’s hand even tighter.
“I’m sorry, Ye-eun.”
He knew his wandering had been a heavy blow to Ye-eun.
Ye-eun also understood that her guilt made In-tae wander more.
Yet, In-tae’s wandering had been a heavy burden for Ye-eun.
It had been four years since their father died, leaving debts behind.
Back then, there was talk of In-tae getting married, but when their father’s double life and large debts were revealed, the marriage fell through.
Burdened with being the eldest son in a difficult personal situation, it was too much for the fragile In-tae.
He couldn’t sleep or eat properly.
Then, he made a grave mistake at work, leading to his resignation.
Fortunately, In-tae reemployed under lesser conditions and seemed to have regained his composure. But it was not so.
His drinking increased, and he slept even less. Amidst this, their mother fell ill, and their situation worsened. Debts grew, and In-tae floundered in a sense of helplessness.
To make matters worse, he discovered the CEO of his new company was his ex-girlfriend’s father-in-law.
And about six months ago, In-tae assaulted the CEO’s son.
The details were unclear, but it led to his dismissal from the company. After that, he ran away from home, got involved with loan sharks, and now even quarreled with a homeless man.
It felt like someone was deliberately tangling In-tae and her life.
Holding Ye-eun’s hand tightly until they reached the hospital, In-tae burst into tears when he saw So-jung, their mother, hugging her tightly.
“Go take a shower.”
So-jung conveyed much in those few words.
“Eat something too.”
Her suggestion to eat substituted for numerous worries.
In-tae just nodded silently, showing his remorse.
“Both of you go home. Rest. You’re all tired from work.”
So-jung expressed her guilt towards her children this way.
“I’ll be home next week too.”
Despite knowing it wasn’t possible, she hoped for discharge.
Thinking it was the best she could do for her struggling children.
Ye-eun, looking at So-jung and In-tae with a heavy heart, nodded.
“Okay. I’ll go.”
After a brief goodbye, Ye-eun handed an envelope to the nurse who had followed her to the hallway.
“I added a bit more. Please take good care of our mother.”
Then, she pulled In-tae out of the hospital.
Ye-eun made In-tae sit on a bench outside the hospital and cleaned his hands with the antiseptic she received at the Lotus Hotel along with the band. In-tae flinched as the antiseptic stung his wounds.
“Brother, I can’t take you home
Dohwa parked his car in a shabby alley of the factory district in Seongsu-dong and looked up at the sky, opening even the sunroof. It was a night with an exceptionally bright moon surrounded by a halo.
The moonlight seemed several times brighter than the old streetlights sporadically illuminating the alley, irritating Dohwa slightly, causing him to narrow his eyes.
“So there were no CCTVs in the Lotus Hotel party room?”
Hearing these annoying words, Dohwa’s expression soured even more. Then, over the phone, Lee Han seemed to hasten to appease Dohwa’s irritation.
“Who would enjoy a party there if there were CCTVs? Even Harry does all sorts of things with Han Dong-ju there. If there were CCTVs, who would dare do anything? They wouldn’t.”
“What a shame. That jerk needs to be fed prison food.”
“But instead, a pretty spy did a good job.”
Dohwa readjusted the phone.
“What are you talking about?”
“When you went to the front desk at the hotel lobby to treat Seo Ye-eun’s hand, I ran into you, remember?”
Recalling the incident at the Lotus Hotel, Dohwa nodded.
“And?”
“I asked for her phone number, saying I needed to explain the situation to a lawyer to deal with Songyuwon. Then she immediately handed me a recorder, saying it’s essential to record when dealing with Songyuwon.”
Ye-eun recorded that situation?
A hollow laugh escaped his lips.
Well, when he first entered that room, the scene he caught was Ye-eun holding a broken glass bottle towards Songyuwon, her face pale with disgust and anger.
That look had oddly calmed him down. The sharp edge of his emotions dulled with relief.
“Did you listen to the recording?”
“Yeah. It’s quite something.”
Lee Han’s voice was filled with energy.
“Songyuwon is done for.”
He sounded quite thrilled, as if enjoying an exciting story.
“You can sue him, too.”
“What are you talking about?”
“At the beginning, Songyuwon was badmouthing you to her. Saying you should be careful. That it’s over once you sleep with someone and you shouldn’t fall for the temptation. Oh, and that you’re really bad at it. That’s the common opinion of the women who’ve been with you.”
Listening to Lee Han, Dohwa leaned back leisurely in the back seat of the car.
He wondered what Ye-eun’s expression was when she heard that.
What kind of face did she make?
Imagining Ye-eun, Dohwa looked out the car window. That’s when a familiar silhouette entered his view.
“What time is it even…”
A deep frown formed on Dohwa’s face.
“What?”
“Nevermind, go on. So?”
“What do you mean ‘so’? But hey, do you have something going on with that pretty spy? You don’t usually care about women like that…”
“Yeah, something’s there.”
Dohwa, who had been reclining, sat up and opened the car door.
“Just make sure to catch that jerk who spoke carelessly in front of her.”
“Wait, what? Are you saying you’re actually into her? Like, you’re catching feelings for your aunt’s spy?”
Catching feelings?
Dohwa chuckled.
“Maybe I’ll try catching those feelings. That thing they call ‘some’.”
Slowly getting out of the car, Dohwa closed the door.
“Send me that recording file. I want to hear Seo Ye-eun’s voice.”
As the sound of the car door closing echoed in the quiet alley past midnight, the figure in Dohwa’s view stopped walking. Then, a pale face turned directly towards him in the moonlight.
Looking at that face, Dohwa began to walk slowly.
“Where are you? If you’re still in Itaewon, I’ll bring it to you.”
“It’s not Itaewon. I came to catch a runaway toy.”
Five steps.
Taking exactly five steps with his stride, Dohwa stopped in front of the person who had been waiting for him for a good 40 minutes.
Without a word of farewell, he hung up the phone and tilted his head, leisurely scanning his target.
“Sixth ax chop.”
The night-brown eyes looking at him were tinged with yellow from the streetlamp’s light.
“Let’s begin.”
The yellow light in the eyes flickered and blurred in response to Dohwa’s voice.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
