An Instinctive Proposal (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 2
“What’s going on with our daughter?”
The next day, while Tae Han was away on a business trip, Yeon Woo visited her family home in Cheonan.
With her busy schedule, she’d barely managed to come once a month, but she’d taken this opportunity to go on leave.
“Just… I thought Mom might miss me.”
Her mother, Sun Ok, warmly embraced Yeon Woo and repeatedly patted her back. Though Sun Ok was noticeably shorter than her daughter, her embrace always felt strong and comforting.
“You look like you’ve lost some weight.”
“I haven’t lost that much.”
“Your chin’s gotten so pointy—how can you say that?”
“Mom, I’m hungry. I came right after waking up just to eat your food.”
Sun Ok gazed fondly at Yeon Woo, who was being affectionate in her arms, then turned away, telling her to wait a moment.
Only then did a sigh finally escape Yeon Woo’s lips.
Indeed, she needed someone she could lean on emotionally. To get through this hardship, she felt she needed her mother’s lovingly prepared meal to regain her strength.
While Sun Ok prepared lunch, Yeon Woo headed into the room she used to use.
This was the house where she’d lived her whole life—where she’d taken her first steps, graduated from school, and even said goodbye to her father.
“Our beloved daughter.”
Her father’s gentle voice still echoed in her ears. Thanks to him, she—the once timid girl—had found the courage to join speech contests and even learned to ride a bike.
If only she’d known she’d lose him so suddenly in an accident, she would have spent more time with him.
But now, she wasn’t just stuck in sadness anymore.
Because she believed her father was watching over them from heaven.
Sitting at her old desk, Yeon Woo looked around at the familiar objects. Everything remained exactly as it had been, thanks to Sun Ok’s careful tending.
“Hmm…?”
Then, something caught her eye by chance.
She picked up a small frame sitting in the corner of the desk.
It was her middle school graduation photo. There she stood, holding a bouquet and smiling, with a boy her age beside her wearing a teasing grin.
Unconsciously, a happy smile spread across her face.
Coming home really was the best. There were so many cherished memories here.
“Daughter, time to eat!”
A moment later, Sun Ok’s voice came from beyond the door. Yeon Woo placed the frame back where it belonged and left the room.
“If only you’d called me even yesterday, I could’ve made something even more delicious.”
Despite her words, the table was generously filled with food.
There was cheonggukjang stew, nutty multigrain rice, sweet bulgogi, and savory grilled fish—all of Yeon Woo’s favorites.
“I’m going to enjoy this!”
Yeon Woo cheerfully announced before eagerly tasting the stew first. She always claimed Sun Ok’s cheonggukjang stew was the best in the world.
Sun Ok busily passed side dishes toward Yeon Woo, piling her plate with bulgogi and carefully deboning a plump piece of grilled fish to place atop her rice.
“Eat plenty. It’s not just that you’ve lost weight—your whole complexion looks off. Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”
Yeon Woo couldn’t help but laugh.
Apparently, a mother’s eyes couldn’t be fooled.
She wondered how her mother would react if she told her that Yeon Woo—unmarried—was pregnant.
Even Yeon Woo herself didn’t fully feel the reality of her pregnancy yet. Although morning sickness was supposed to start around five weeks, just yesterday at lunch she’d eaten budae jjigae with her coworkers.
“Mom, I saw the photo of me and Gyu Bin out.”
“Yeah. I found it while tidying your desk the other day. Isn’t it nice? Photos like that should be kept where you can see them.”
Revisiting old memories, Yeon Woo smiled faintly as she chewed on the fish.
“I wonder how Gyu Bin’s doing. He’s probably living really stylishly in America now, don’t you think?”
“I think so too. His family are all such wonderful people.”
“Right—and they were wealthy, too.”
Her neighborhood had originally been a modest residential area, but after a large corporation opened a branch office and new luxury apartments were built, fancy sedans began appearing regularly.
Gyu Bin’s family had been one of those affluent households.
Moreover, his parents worked as a researcher at a major corporation and a university professor in Cheonan—both known for their kindness and deep integrity.
“We stayed in touch until you graduated high school, but somehow we lost contact after that.”
“Well, it’s hard to keep in touch when you’re not even in the same country.”
They had cared for Yeon Woo after her father’s passing and even offered financial support to Sun Ok, who was raising a daughter alone.
“How’s the food? Tasty?”
“It’s amazing. I’ll have two bowls.”
Yeon Woo gave a thumbs-up and dug in enthusiastically. Though she’d always loved Sun Ok’s cooking, her pregnancy seemed to make everything taste even better.
“How’s work going?”
“Fine.”
“And how’s the President doing?”
At the mention of Tae Han, Yeon Woo’s spoon paused mid-motion. She looked up with cheeks still full, and Sun Ok raised an eyebrow at her puzzled expression.
“What’s wrong? Is the President not doing well?”
“Uh… no. He’s doing fine. He’s always doing well.”
Even now.
He hadn’t even approved her resignation yet, yet with just a curt “Understood,” he’d left her completely stuck, unable to take any action.
“Thanks to your President, I can rest easy.”
“Why’s that?”
“What company goes out of its way to remember an employee’s birthday? Even if you’re in the secretarial office, the fact that he keeps doing that for you every time is truly remarkable. Just from that, I can tell exactly how he feels about you.”
Yeon Woo stayed quiet instead of replying.
“And besides, I doubt anyone else in this world would care about an employee’s mother the way your President does.”
Every year on Yeon Woo’s birthday, Tae Han sent gifts not only for her but also for Sun Ok.
Last year, he’d given them vouchers for a luxury hotel stay, and this year, he’d sent reservations to a notoriously hard-to-book traditional Korean restaurant.
He always made sure to send the gifts directly to their Cheonan address, making it impossible for Yeon Woo to refuse.
Although she’d expressed concern about misuse of personal information, Sun Ok’s delight each year meant the matter always quietly slipped by.
“…I’m full. I won’t be able to finish two bowls after all.”
Yeon Woo set down her spoon.
Worried Sun Ok might bring up Tae Han again, she quickly stood up.
“Mom, I’m going to nap for a bit.”
“Right after eating? At least let your food settle first.”
“I’m going to live like an ox until Sunday.”
Grabbing a bag of snacks from the snack basket, Yeon Woo headed back to her room.
She truly felt like becoming a simple cow, happy just chewing grass.
Whenever she thought of Tae Han, her heart churned like stormy waves, leaving her dizzy and unsettled.
Having spent her vacation like an ox, Yeon Woo faced Monday.
Today marked the fifth day since Tae Han had left for his business trip—and the day before his scheduled return.
She arrived at the office early and immediately headed toward the inner office as soon as she put her bag down.
“Section Chief Ko, good morning.”
Section Chief Ko, who had been yawning widely, rubbed his tired face with dry hands. His expression clearly read, “You again?”
“Has my resignation letter been approved yet?”
“No. Nothing’s been processed yet.”
Since she’d already informed Section Chief Ko of her intention to retire long ago, the lack of swift approval weighed on her mind.
She’d just returned from a five-day weekend leave, yet her resignation still hadn’t gone through.
“By the way, Assistant Seo.”
“Yes, Section Chief.”
Section Chief Ko looked at her with an oddly suspicious expression, then narrowed his eyes and asked,
“Did something happen between you and the President?”
Yeon Woo was momentarily flustered and couldn’t say a word.
Although what happened between her and Tae Han was something only the two of them knew, she couldn’t help but feel on edge—was he really asking because he knew something?
“There’s nothing like that. Nothing could’ve happened.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
She forced a bright, innocent smile, as if to convey there absolutely hadn’t been any “incident.”
Years of working in the secretarial office had taught her how to manage her expressions regardless of her mood.
“Well… alright.”
Fortunately, Section Chief Ko dropped his suspicious look and nodded.
Knowing Tae Han’s famously upright character better than anyone, he simply couldn’t imagine him getting entangled with someone as junior as Yeon Woo.
“Then just wait a little longer. He’s coming back tomorrow anyway—I’ll ask him about it then.”
“Okay.”
“But where do you plan to go once you leave here?”
Yeon Woo gave a slight smile.
“I’m sure I’ll find somewhere.”
“That’s strange—it doesn’t sound like you at all.”
Having watched Yeon Woo for a long time, Section Chief Ko couldn’t understand her decision.
She was always careful and meticulous—yet now she was impulsively quitting without any concrete plan for her future.
“Are you really going to be okay?”
He looked at her again, as if needing to ask once more.
For a moment, her throat tightened.
She had to hold her breath until the sudden lump of bittersweet regret subsided.
“Yes. I’ll be fine.”
From the very beginning, Yeon Woo had known her choice was already made—she simply had no other option.
Since she couldn’t give up her baby, leaving Tae Han was the only right thing to do.
At lunchtime, Yeon Woo wandered around the company cafeteria holding her tray, scanning the room.
“Assistant Seo!”
Spotting a waving hand not far away, she quickly approached.
“Sorry I’m late—I hope you’ve already started eating.”
“The line was unusually long today, so we’ve only just sat down ourselves.”
She’d finished urgent work that had come in right before break, making her about ten minutes later than everyone else.
The secretarial staff, huddled together at their table, seemed unusually animated, clearly buzzing over some topic.
“Anyway, Assistant, don’t be shocked—but just now, Team Leader Yoon Ji Hyun shared some huge news.”
“Huge news?”
Given her role as a secretary—sensitive to office moods and prone to hearing rumors—Yeon Woo felt uneasy inside.
The news likely involved Tae Han.
“We were talking about the President while waiting for you.”
Sure enough, it was about Tae Han.
“Team Leader Yoon said she saw our President together with former Managing Director Sung Min Hee—at a hotel!”
As soon as she finished speaking, the surrounding colleagues began chattering excitedly.
“Just as the saying goes—there’s no smoke without fire.”
“Exactly. I thought it was strange back then that nothing came of it, but now it’s finally come to light.”
Sung Min Hee—
Vice President of Osan Wooljang and the group’s second daughter. Years ago, she’d stirred public speculation with sudden rumors of an engagement to Tae Han.
Thanks to her movie-star looks, online netizens dubbed her a “celepreneur”—a blend of celebrity and entrepreneur.
“To be honest, they actually make a good-looking couple.”
The employees began discussing the old scandal between the two.
Tae Han and Min Hee were the same age and, according to popular belief, had grown close due to frequent family interactions since childhood.
Later, rumors spread nationwide—through news reports—that they’d become a couple after both studying abroad at the same foreign university.
But Yeon Woo looked uncomfortable. She’d suffered emotionally during the scandal, and hearing the same old story again now made her uneasy.
“But honestly, isn’t Sung Min Hee the perfect match for our President?”
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
aah, serim really messed up.
claimed to know everything but in reality know nothing.
allergic reaction could be really dangerous.