So-ri could barely eat rice with the banchan that Aunt had made, not Mom’s dish.
On the other hand, Hyunwoo continued his meal with the braised short ribs and japchae made by Sohyeong.
With a strange thought, So-ri picked up a piece of the braised short ribs.
Ugh.
It was worse than the japchae. It was a terribly unpleasant taste, with greasiness and a taste of salt and sweetness in the short ribs.
Did she not use any sugar because it’s bad for health? If it’s Sohyeong, she could easily be someone who doesn’t use sugar.
But watching Hyunwoo, who didn’t frown at all and ate it, made her feel like her stomach was turning upside down.
I can’t accept Mom’s cooking, which even her daughter can’t eat. Trying to restrain herself, So-ri pressed her wriggling hand firmly against her face. And looking at him like that, she felt an inexplicable emotion.
Whether the deep emotion turns into an embarrassed feeling, looking at Seo Hyunwoo, she even felt a tingling sensation.
What’s wrong with Seo Hyunwoo, he’s acting like a complete fool.
Suddenly, attention gathered around the eyes.
Since then, So-ri couldn’t even look at him properly.
Seo Han Hospital.
So-ri, in the capacity of Sohyeong’s guardian, secretly visited Seo Han Hospital alone. It wasn’t difficult to find Sohyeong’s attending physician, as it was the place where she had done her internship.
And the information So-ri received about Sohyeong’s condition left her somewhat disheartened.
She harbored a fleeting thought, hoping that perhaps all of Baek Sun-hwa’s words were lies.
But the situation was worse than she had thought. It was urgent to proceed with the transplant.
Feeling awkward, just before she stepped out of the lobby main entrance, a phone call came through.
It was Hospital Director Seo Guk-hwan.
What could be the matter?
To meet Guk-hwan, who suggested having a brief conversation, So-ri changed direction and headed to the director’s office.
“Hello. Director, no, Father.”
“Just call me as you used to. Sit comfortably over there.”
“Yes.”
An unexplainable heavy silence descended.
Looking at Guk-hwan’s somewhat dark expression as he sat on the throne, So-ri got lost in thought.
Did he contact her because he knew she came to Seo Han Hospital? Or did he find out that she met Mom’s attending physician?
So-ri’s heart began to beat like a drum.
“Well, the reason I wanted to see you is…”
Guk-hwan lifted his glasses and broke the icy silence.
“I heard about your mother’s condition. Is it true?”
“…Yes.”
“Yeah. It must be a big shock. I hoped both Hyunwoo and your mother wouldn’t know.”
Ah…
She didn’t expect Guk-hwan to know as well.
So-ri blushed to the point where she felt her face getting hot. It seemed like she unknowingly caused trouble here and there.
“I apologize for causing worry.”
“…You have nothing to apologize for.”
Guk-hwan, who quietly licked his lips, adjusted his posture.
“I asked to see you because… there’s something I want to request.”
“A request?”
“Yeah. It might be a bit difficult.”
“What… is the request?”
Anxiety surged like a wave, threatening to sweep So-ri away. She tried not to show her trembling.
Guk-hwan looked at So-ri intently and said.
“I hope you can break up with Hyunwoo.”
“…What?”
It felt like her heart was plummeting off a cliff.
“He decided to get married in the first place because of your mother. As you know, he’s a guy who lost his mother miserably at a young age.”
“Director…”
“I hope you listen to my story to the end. I know I don’t have the right to say such things. But as a father, I have no choice.”
So-ri clenched her trembling hands to hide them and listened.
“As a sense of responsibility, he made the decision to marry, and he has been protecting you out of a sense of responsibility. Moreover, he applied for a donor test for your mother’s transplant. As a father, I can’t just approve of a marriage where the scars of that guy will be stirred up uncontrollably.”
“…”
“I’ve had a failed life. I couldn’t even protect my wife, and I’m not a good father to my children. Hyunwoo resents me, and if he finds out that I told you this, he might never want to see my face again.”
Gukhwan’s heavy sigh inflated So-ri’s self-blame.
“Still, I hope my son doesn’t walk the difficult path of a pained family like me. I wish he could live happily, doing what he loves, fully utilizing his abilities. If he must get married.”
“…Please stop. Please stop talking, Director.”
It became too difficult to keep listening.
“I understand what you’re saying. I heard you well.”
“I’m sorry.”
So-ri lowered her head slightly.
Though painful words for her, they felt sincere.
A father’s sincere intention to protect his son as much as he can, knowing why his son is willing to suffer.
It must be a sentiment no different from her own feelings for her mother, Suhyeong.
“Now that you know about your mother’s condition, I thought it was back to square one anyway. It’s not too late for both of you to reconsider for each other’s sake.”
“Yes. Yes. I’m truly sorry.”
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.”
