For a moment, Dajeong smiled, distorting her lips. It felt like finding an answer through arsenic.
[I have to end it now. I’ll call you before I leave.]She had deeply fallen for him, momentarily forgetting. How she had defined this meeting. It was magical, a deadline. Like Cinderella’s midnight. When she goes up to Seoul, the relationship ends. That was the plan from the beginning.
Even if this pension was owned by Lee Jaeho, parting ways remained unchanged. Yes, even if she was treated like a toy.
“Sure. Have a delicious dinner.”
Dajeong gently released the tightly clenched fist.
It had been unbelievably happy days. She hoped only the happiness and memories would remain until the end. What meaning did the truth have in a relationship that was about to end? If it was an uncomfortably bitter truth, it would have been better not to know.
What would confirming that my happiness wasn’t just your amusement accomplish? After all, you’re going to leave.
Dajeong buried her face between her knees.
Everything was a misunderstanding, and even if his feelings were sincere, it was ultimately a destined meeting. Living by the beach for a month is now down to just one week.
I should just do nothing.
Dajeong took a deep breath and went to bed. Now it was time to practice parting ways.
The melancholic sound of autumn crickets echoed. Whether it was a cricket or some bug with an unknown name, it buzzed irritatingly. It was an unusually dark night.
“Grandpa, happy birthday!”
“Dad, congratulations.”
The dining table, where the family gathered after a long time, buzzed with activity. It was a gathering centered around Lee Heontae, including Mi-jeong, Jaeho, and four families, including Lee Jinhyeok. Lee Se-ah brought out a camera.
“Grandpa! Blow out the candles!”
Claiming that it was his birthday, Se-ah, who insisted on personally making the cake, brightly smiled, playfully asking him to blow out the candles. Afterward, she handed over a bouquet and smiled. It was the pure image of a granddaughter sincerely congratulating her grandfather’s birthday. Jaeho was impressed.
‘She’s putting in a lot of effort.’
The candles on the cake, not even made by me, went out at the right time.
“Grandpa, you must live healthy for a long, long time! I love you.”
Knowing full well that he was playing around, where would he play out such a comical act?
After the cake was cleared, a variety of dinner menus were set on the table. Starting with a soft porridge made of pumpkin, there were handmade dumplings, tteokgalbi, various pancakes, and stone pot rice, presenting a table full of dishes that were practically transported from a high-end restaurant. Mouth-watering grilled sirloin became the main dish.
“Min-woo Yeon, a Korean chef in Cheongdam, took care of it himself. Dad.”
Mi-jeong briefly introduced the food.
“Thank you for your hard work in preparing.”
“Yeah. Hyung must have worked hard.”
Picking up a bit of the side dish, Jinhyeok’s wife, Jung Hyesu, spoke nonchalantly. It was an impeccable attitude. Even though she suddenly found herself taking on the role of the eldest brother, there was no way to tell from the outside. Jaeho thought she might be the most inscrutable person in the family.
“All right. Everyone, let’s eat.”
As Lee Heontae raised his spoon, the meal finally began. Jinhyeok’s two daughters praised the food continuously and chatted, and Jinhyeok briefly explained the urban redevelopment project that Taemyung Construction was currently pushing forward.
Jinmyeong, the immature youngest uncle, playfully attacked Jaeho with chopsticks.
“Ah, Uncle.”
“Don’t you date anyone?”
“You should do it, Uncle. Please.”
“I’m old now.”
Jaeho looked at Jinmyeong’s face, who was laughing brightly, with a bewildered expression. Jinmyeong was a bachelor who boasted quite a handsome appearance. Although he was in his late forties, due to his diligent self-management, he looked at least ten years younger.
No, even if he’s the middle-aged man with a protruding belly, it’s a fact that he is the third son with a nickname and a major shareholder. He knew well that if he set his mind to it, he could easily meet young women of ten or twenty years old.
“Grandpa worries a lot because of Uncle.”
“No, Dad has given up on me now. Right, Dad?”
Lee Heontae, holding a spoon of seaweed soup, was about to pat Lee Jinmyeong on the head when Jinmyeong skillfully dodged and laughed. As if it were a signal, Mi-jeong awkwardly smiled.
“You! Is that what you say on Dad’s birthday!”
“Why is Dad getting more violent!”
“People who have received the best education! I don’t understand why they are wasting their good minds and abilities like that!”
Lee Heontae looked back and forth between Lee Jinmyeong and Jaeho, tongue-tied. Jaeho expressed his resentment, looking at his uncle.
“Because of Uncle, even I, who used to stay quiet, get scolded.”
“You’re only scolded because you deserve it. You rarely come home.”
Then, Lee Jinhyeok interrupted their conversation and casually threw a question.
“Jaeho, when is the release date for your movie this time?”
“Probably around the first half of next year. Little brother.”
“Jaeho is exceptionally talented. Dad.”
Jung Hyesu also joined the conversation. At that, Se-ah and Se-hee, the two sisters, praised Jaeho’s acting and expressed their admiration.
“Jaeho is outstanding. There’s no one among actors in their 30s who can match him!”
“Dad.”
Jinhyeok called Lee Heontae in a low voice.
“Jaeho is naturally suited for acting. If he likes acting, just keep letting him do it. Since there’s work at the company, and there’s Se-ah and Se-hee too.”
“That’s right, Dad.”
Jung Hyesu chimed in.
Lee Heontae, who was having his meal, stopped his spoon and glanced around. His eyes, with deep insight, sharply lit up.
“So, you’ve come with an ulterior motive.”
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
