She sighed again at the thought of her overly kind and naive son, Seok Dong. Although it had been difficult for Kwang Soon herself to deal with those terrible people, she was worried about the wounds her tender son might have sustained.
“So let’s muster up our strength. History will acknowledge our righteousness in the future.”
Yes, yes. I understand. Then I’ll trust only you, Mrs. Nam, and keep my son’s mouth shut.
“That’s right. Let’s have a drink when things calm down.”
After ending the call, Kwang Soon picked up the cleaned chicken breast and stood up. Her face heading towards the kitchen was full of displeasure.
“Really, as long as it’s about money, they just like it. Tsk.”
Is it this difficult to meet someone suitable? Kwang Soon shook her head.
On the last day of the year, a Friday morning, Tae Seo was in a meeting about the Hwa Mi Apartment.
The cooperative members had informed a little while ago that they would ultimately choose one out of Gang Seon Construction and Hyun Yang Construction. Due to the urgent requests for meetings from each department, a meeting was held that was not previously planned.
It was an unofficial announcement. It was a hasty announcement by the cooperative members who had even failed to obtain the residents’ consent for reconstruction and redevelopment.
“There is determination in the cooperative to make it happen this time, no matter what. I heard that the divided cooperative is also looking forward to unification, so I think we need to step forward actively now.”
“I agree. We can’t just sit still. No matter how superior we may be, we must not underestimate Hyun Yang Construction.”
“That’s right. We have to convince the residents too. Like Hyun Yang, we should consider the residents a little more…”
“No, what? Are you saying we should go into deficit?”
“Who said that? We should just listen to the residents a little more!”
“You mean to just hand out money by reflecting the residents’ opinions more, right now!”
“No, do you have any good suggestions then?”
“The consent of the residents will be resolved by the cooperative. I know it’s almost done. So we should focus a little more on the cooperative members than the residents…”
Tae Seo, who had been listening to the meaningless argument, frowned and capped his pen.
This was a meeting reluctantly presided over by Tae Seo at the request of the heads of each department. The only additional information during that time was news about Hyun Yang Construction, which was overtly heating up for the bidding.
“So the opinions so far are basically asking for a charity project, aren’t they? Did you request a meeting to decide whether the target should be the cooperative members or the residents? But that charity project, are you planning to do it with your salaries?”
The hand that pushed away the meeting materials he had been glaring at all along was relentless. Tae Seo swiftly scanned the suddenly chilled meeting room with a sharp gaze and clicked his tongue.
“You may not know.”
There was irritation in the man’s low voice. In the tense meeting room, not a single person opened their mouth.
“We can still make a living even without the redevelopment of the Hwa Mi Apartments.”
At Tae Seo’s rebuke, everyone attending the meeting widened their eyes.
“But Chief, the redevelopment of the Hwa Mi Apartments area is the Chairman’s longcherished project!”
“Who doesn’t know that? The point is that it’s not us but the cooperative who are staking their lives on the redevelopment of that apartment.”
“Yes…?”
“What I mean is, there’s no need to accept all the conditions of the cooperative while anticipating a deficit. They’ll choose one of the two anyway, and excessive competition only results in greater losses.”
“Then…”
“Let’s keep watching.”
“But Chief, there’s a rumor that Hyun Yang is already…”
Although Hyun Yang Construction was said to be pouring money into the cooperative, Gang Seon Construction had a far better brand image. Additionally, there were differences in financial power and technical ability due to the difference in scale, and the designs were different as well.
Hyun Yang Construction, which pursued a flashy and majestic image, and Gang Seon Construction, which prioritized a refined harmony with nature, had starkly different objectives.
Unlike the design of Hyun Yang Construction, which was divisive according to age, Gang Seon Construction’s design had high favorability across generations.
Therefore, there was a high likelihood that Gang Seon Construction would receive the final bid if they just catered a little to the cooperative members. Tae Seo, too, was well aware of this.
However, Tae Seo had no desire to appease the members of the cooperative. It was clear what they wanted: to be handled more gently like Hyun Yang Construction and to bring them benefits at the same time.
“I understand your desire to determine a direction by the end of the year. However, professionals must act professionally. We’ve done what we can. There will be no more concessions.”
“But Chief, if we don’t hurry, it will be too late. Hyun Yang Construction has already met with the heads of various reconstruction cooperatives several times…”
“They must have been throwing money around. Are you suggesting we do the same now?”
“No, what I mean is…”
“Did you request a meeting to simply spend money without a proper plan? You don’t feel burdened to spend company money? Answer me.”
At Tae Seo’s harsh criticism, everyone kept their mouths tightly shut. In the quiet conference room, only his gaze remained fierce.
Regarding the Hwa Mi Apartments, the answer Tae Seo came up with after several days of contemplation was one. Whether to go ahead with it or not. Which way would his heart tilt? He was contemplating it at the moment.
In truth, he was already inclined decidedly towards one side. But the participants in the meeting would have difficulty accepting the conclusion he had come to. So, he was examining the timing while introspecting his own heart.
As he introspected, he was reminded again.
Yoon Jae In.
His gaze flickered briefly to the watch on his wrist, a forceful smile creeping onto his lips. It was eleven forty in the morning. There were still more than eight hours left until the appointed time.
As the time approached, a sense of anticipation began to mix with anxiety. Whether Jae In would accept the invitation or not, Tae Seo could not know. He had no choice but to wait.
“Sigh…”
Tae Seo closed his eyes. At that moment, he missed Yoon Jae In.
At the entrance of the Kang Sun Art Center, Jae In tugged at the hem of her kneelength evening dress.
“Whew…”
Taking a breather, she looked back at the clock in the art center garden that she had already passed. The event began at eight, but she arrived at halfpast eight, thirty minutes late. It wasn’t her intention to be late.
The person in charge of her hair and makeup had screamed the moment they saw her.
And then, they had seized the rare opportunity to work with their muse, burning with artistic passion. The urgings of time did not reach the ears of someone who was earnestly grinding their soul to bring out their skills. Hence, she ended up running late.
One could say that she arrived just in time.
Since she had decided to reveal herself, she had to make the most dramatic appearance possible. She had to capture everyone’s attention, so entering when everyone was gathered would be effective.
“Let’s go, Yoon Jae In. There’s nothing to be scared of.”
Jae In closed her eyes for a moment, thinking of Kang Tae Seo waiting for her inside the art center. She couldn’t imagine the expression he would have upon seeing her. The only thing that was clear was that Kang Tae Seo was not her enemy.
Finally, she who stood at the white staircase took a step forward.
lu lu lo la ▪️ net (lululola.net)
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.”
