A Marriage with an Expiry (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 7
“How on earth did you figure out it was me?”
Wearing hospital scrubs and running into Seo Hyun Woo of all people.
How was she even supposed to explain this situation?
But So Ri’s mind had already gone completely blank with panic.
Maybe, right now, quick action mattered more than any excuse.
So Ri bowed slightly, avoided meeting his eyes even once, and stepped out of the elevator.
The elevator doors closed behind her back.
She wondered if the prickling sensation on the back of her head was just her imagination.
Suddenly, she spun around and quickly pressed the “open” button.
The nearly closed elevator doors slid open again, and her eyes met Hyun Woo’s directly.
She gave him an awkward, sheepish grin, noticing he’d furrowed his brows slightly.
“I was so surprised to see you here that I completely forgot to greet you. Did you come to see the director?”
“Yes.”
His short reply brought back the silence.
For some reason, So Ri felt her lips drying out.
“If you’re getting back on, get on. Otherwise…”
“Oh, yes.”
Of course she’d get on.
Before he’d even finished speaking, So Ri quickly stepped back into the elevator.
Just as she was opening her mouth to say something and looking up at him, Hyun Woo turned to look at her too.
Why did her words always get stuck the moment she saw his face?
She blinked her big eyes but couldn’t bring herself to say anything.
Breaking the silence first, he fixed his gentle eyes on her intently.
“Where does it hurt?”
She was secretly relieved he’d asked about the hospital scrubs—exactly the opening she’d hoped for to justify herself.
“My stomach’s been feeling off.”
But saying she’d been admitted just for stomach issues sounded inconsistent even to her own ears.
“I think I might’ve overeaten. So…”
Gurgle.
Right then, her stomach let out a loud, demanding growl.
So Ri quickly covered her stomach with both hands.
Grrrooowl.
But an even clearer, livelier sound echoed cheerfully through the elevator.
He’d clearly heard it from right beside her and now turned halfway toward her.
So Ri, still clutching her stomach, scrunched up her face as if in pain—already regretting not having claimed it was gastroenteritis instead.
Suddenly, a long arm reached out and touched her forehead.
Her eyes widened in shock, nearly popping out of her head.
“Doesn’t seem like you have a fever.”
She was about to develop one right now.
“Your hand.”
“Huh?”
He extended his hand, asking for hers. Before she could hesitate, he swiftly took her wrist to check her pulse.
“Do you have arrhythmia too?”
“Oh, no?”
“It’s beating way too fast.”
Well, of course—how could it not be, when you suddenly grabbed my hand like that, Hyung?
Her heart pounded wildly from the unexpected examination, and her cheeks kept flushing deeper red.
“You don’t seem bloated. But accumulated fatigue can definitely mess with your digestion.”
“I guess… that’s probably it.”
“Any other symptoms? Vomiting or diarrhea?”
“No, nothing like that.”
She didn’t want to lie about something that embarrassing, especially not to Hyun Woo.
“If you keep skipping meals just because digestion’s hard, you’ll end up wrecking your body.”
“Right. That’s exactly why I checked in—to recover quickly.”
“Then why did you come all the way here after showing up at Je Empire’s ER earlier?”
“It’s just… still a bit awkward.”
So he’d seen her there too.
Remembering their earlier encounter made her heart flutter as if tickled by a feather.
Ding-dong.
The elevator’s chime announced they’d reached B2.
The moment the doors opened, he slowly let go of her hand.
For some reason, she felt a pang of regret as his warmth drifted away.
“Go on up now.”
With that light remark, he stepped out of the elevator.
At least he seemed to have believed her lie easily—that was some small relief.
“Then please drive safely home.”
She finally offered the polite greeting she’d missed earlier, calling out to his retreating back.
He lifted a hand in acknowledgment and quickly strode across the parking lot with long strides.
“Phew…”
Only now could she finally exhale in relief.
Back in her hospital room, So Ri kept touching her forehead and fiddling with her hand.
Every spot he’d touched still felt like it was on fire.
Did he even realize?
That his casual gestures made her heart race uncontrollably.
“He wouldn’t do it if he knew.”
She grumbled under her breath, her face flushed all the same.
She placed a hand over her heart.
It was still flapping like a fish dragged onto land.
Ugh.
The real problem was her—overreacting so intensely to his meaningless actions.
Was she this bad already? Could she really handle working at the same hospital? She’d heard lovesickness could get so severe it sent you to the afterlife.
“But wait… why hasn’t Dr. Park come yet? I’m starving…”
Lost in thought, she’d completely forgotten her hunger—until now.
She stared at the bread and milk she’d bought from the convenience store, caught in a dilemma.
To eat or not to eat?
It might get awkward if Ji Woong walked in while she was eating, but she couldn’t bear it any longer—she picked up the castella cake and milk she’d bought.
As she tore open the wrapper, she wondered why she was being so unnecessarily stubborn.
Just as she was about to take a bite of the soft cake—
Knock knock. The door burst open with a creak. From her bed, she couldn’t see the door directly.
“I knew this would happen.”
While hastily stuffing the uneaten bread back into the bag, the rustling sounded embarrassingly loud.
She placed the neatly repacked bread and milk back onto the bedside table and said,
“I thought you’d forgotten about me and gone home already.”
But the moment she sat upright again in bed, the face she saw wasn’t Ji Woong’s.
So Ri gasped in surprise and forgot even to exhale the breath she’d just inhaled.
“How did you…?”
Seo Hyun Woo stood right before her.
Why hadn’t he left? Had he seen through her clumsy lie?
If Seo Hyun Woo ever found out the truth, her residency at Je Empire Hospital might get revoked.
That was exactly why she’d chased after him earlier with that half-baked excuse.
Now, caught red-handed in front of the one person she absolutely couldn’t let find out, her face instantly drained of all expression.
“Were you waiting for someone?”
“There’s a doctor who promised to personally set up my IV.”
“Your boyfriend, maybe?”
“What? No! Not at all!”
It was understandable he’d misunderstand—after all, nurses usually handled IVs, so claiming she was waiting for someone specific sounded suspicious.
“I don’t have anyone like that. I’m not even interested.”
She waved both hands frantically, insisting again with an almost offended tone.
Meanwhile, Hyun Woo began casually looking around the room as if he’d asked the question without any particular intent.
But the moment his gaze swept over the bedside table, his previously relaxed brows slowly knit together.
No wonder your stomach’s upset if you’re eating junk like this.
He pulled out the tray attached beneath the hospital bed himself and placed the paper bag he’d been holding onto it.
“Did you bring porridge?”
He didn’t even know why he hadn’t just walked past the porridge shop he saw on his way out of the parking lot.
Well… maybe it was because her pale face and cold hands kept bothering him.
“There’s a porridge place right next to the hospital.”
“Oh… You really didn’t have to.”
Worried Ji Woong might barge in at the worst possible moment, So Ri was sitting on pins and needles.
“There’s nothing else wrong with your health, is there?”
“What? Of course not! I’m tougher than I look—solid to the bone.”
Flustered, overly dramatic words spilled out uncontrollably.
“You’d better just tell me the truth now.”
Though stung, she still couldn’t confess the real reason.
“Really, nothing’s wrong. I swear.”
She reassured herself—it wasn’t technically a lie since nothing had been confirmed yet.
Just then—
“Dr. Yoo, did you wait long? Sorry, sorry! My department head suddenly called me. Is this your first blood transfusion? Wait… you have a visitor?”
Ji Woong, who’d come to see the patient reluctant about hospitalization, looked utterly puzzled at the unexpected guest in So Ri’s room.
Startled, So Ri leapt off the bed like a spring and stood firmly in front of Ji Woong, blocking him.
“Doctor, I think I’d better go home now.”
“Why?”
“Ahaha… I’m feeling way too good now, so I probably don’t need it. I’m hungry, and I have to work tomorrow too.”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
Rambling incoherently, So Ri turned the transfusion-prepped Ji Woong around and began pushing him toward the door while whispering like a ventriloquist,
“That’s a professor from Je Empire Hospital.”
Only after miming a throat-slitting gesture with her hand did Ji Woong reluctantly nod in understanding.
After successfully shooing him out, So Ri returned to the room and hurriedly gathered her clothes.
The atmosphere had grown extremely awkward.
“You probably should’ve just gone home to eat and get some proper rest.”
Hyun Woo’s voice rang out flatly as he watched her flustered, helpless expression.
“Yoo So Ri.”
Her name, suddenly called out, made So Ri freeze in place.
“Yes… I lied about the indigestion.”
But even as she confessed, she immediately had to tell him another lie—hoping it sounded convincing enough.
“I’ve been a bit anemic, and they said a transfusion would help me recover faster. It’s really nothing serious.”
She looked up at him with a calm, composed face.
“Could you just pretend you didn’t notice—just this once? Would that be so bad?”
Hyun Woo’s gaze remained fixed on her face like a lingering shadow.
Anemia severe enough to require a transfusion…
Worry and suspicion flickered simultaneously across his face as he pondered deeply.
He remembered how her wound hadn’t stopped bleeding when she’d been cut by a knife not long ago.
Something definitely felt off—but there was no way to confirm it right now.
After all, this was Seohan Hospital, not Je Empire.
He stepped closer to So Ri, who was moving slowly while watching his every reaction, and said firmly,
“You stay right here. Don’t move.”
Leaving only those words behind, Hyun Woo abruptly walked out of the room.
Moments later, he returned—bringing Ji Woong with him. Ji Woong still held the medical tray as before.
“Please finish what you were about to do earlier.”
“Professor…”
So Ri called out to Hyun Woo, her tone pleading.
“Oh right—Professor now, huh? That’s me.”
Hyun Woo said coolly.
Then—
“If you don’t want to get fired before even starting work, you’ll do as you’re told.”
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
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MANGA DISCUSSION
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Chapter Comments (18)
Oh i know he is jealous af(^-^)
This se hoon guy is pmo .
Omg she kissed him ommgggg!!
Inline Comments (1)
She couldn't recall a single word she'd just said.
Oh I will tell you..you said some pretty harsh things🥲
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Bannedbaddie
Girl please finish that transfusion ur life is in danger