Boiling Desire (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 2
Seo Ah stomped down into the kitchen and gulped down a glass of cold water. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
— Pfft, acting tough even though you can’t handle it.
With those words, Ha Joon’s warmth and shadow that had enveloped her vanished completely.
It must’ve just been a light-hearted joke, yet she felt embarrassed for reacting so intensely.
Just until she’d been in France, she’d felt confident—confident enough that seeing him wouldn’t shake her at all. If it had been the twenty-one-year-old him she’d last seen, maybe it truly wouldn’t have mattered. But the twenty-seven-year-old version of him was far too devastating.
Why couldn’t he just treat me with contempt and push me away like he used to? Why’s he acting like someone desperate to claim what they can’t have?!
“Haaah….”
Seo Ah let out a deep sigh and fiddled with her neck. His lips’ lingering sensation still felt present, leaving her oddly unsettled.
Her heart had pounded so abruptly and fiercely that even now, it still seemed to tickle inside her chest.
***
The next day arrived.
When she opened her eyes, Seo Ah found herself sprawled out in a perfect “X” right in the center of the bed. She was sure she’d fallen asleep curled up at the very edge, yet with her feet resting on the pillow, it seemed she’d flipped a full 180 degrees again.
That was just her sleeping habit.
When she was younger, she’d often tumbled right off the bed because of it. Over time, her reflexes must’ve sharpened—whenever she sensed she was about to fall, she’d wake up just in time. But since she had no memory of waking this time, the bed must’ve been wide enough that she hadn’t fallen off after all.
Wait… wide bed?
Oh, right! This isn’t my house! Startled, Seo Ah bolted upright.
Where did Ha Joon go? He couldn’t possibly have seen me like this, could he?
This was definitely something that only happened when sleeping alone.
Ever since childhood, she’d always slept alone—except during her time in France, when she’d tried sharing a bed with close female friends or assistants to break this habit. When someone else was present, she’d stay tense, and this flipping-around never occurred.
And Ha Joon, of all people—someone she should’ve felt even more tense around—there was absolutely no way they’d slept together.
She immediately grabbed her phone to check the time.
It was already 10 a.m.
Ah! How could it be so late already?! Why didn’t my alarm go off? I was supposed to get up at 5:30, freshen up, and prepare breakfast with the house staff! Mother-in-law mustn’t find out!
Before the wedding, Min Jung had told Seo Ah: in the Tae Sung Group family, wives had always prepared meals themselves—everything else could be handled by staff, but not meals.
Seeing that her alarm had been turned off, someone must’ve disabled it—but she dearly hoped it had been herself.
She didn’t want anyone to see her like this.
Seo Ah quickly washed up and headed straight down to the kitchen.
“Madam, did you sleep well?”
Yeon Suk, the most senior housekeeper—who’d cared for Ha Joon since his family home—greeted her cheerfully first. Everyone called her “Auntie,” and Seo Ah had naturally adopted the same.
“I-I’m so sorry, Auntie. My alarm was turned off…”
“Oh dear, no need to apologize! You must’ve been exhausted—you needed proper rest.”
Was that a sly look on Yeon Suk’s face, or was it just Seo Ah’s imagination?
“Um… did you happen to turn off my phone alarm? Or did someone else do it?”
“We weren’t even allowed upstairs today. The young master insisted we not disturb your deep sleep—he gave us strict instructions! Ho ho ho ho ho.”
Seo Ah’s cheeks warmed slightly. Was he actually considerate of me? No way. That couldn’t be it. Kang Ha Joon, of all people, being considerate?
Ah—but then again, maybe he just didn’t want anyone else to see her sprawled out embarrassingly in bed after spinning 180 degrees.
He was that kind of man—so perfect himself, he probably expected his wife to be just as flawless.
The thought that Ha Joon might have seen her like that made her feel even hotter.
“You don’t have classes today, Madam? Shall I prepare brunch for you?”
“No, I don’t have classes, but I’ve made plans with some friends.”
***
“How was it?! Spill it already—stop keeping us in suspense!”
As soon as Seo Ah arrived at their meeting spot, her three friends immediately pressed her about last night without even saying hello.
These friends had been close since kindergarten through middle school—ordinary girls from regular families, far removed from the world of chaebols.
As a child, Seo Ah had been a mischievous, carefree girl who preferred playing over studying, just like any other kid her age.
Until she was sixteen, nobody even knew she was a chaebol heiress.
And for good reason—she didn’t attend the elite schools reserved for chaebol kids, who typically arrived and left school flanked by secretaries and bodyguards, draped head-to-toe in luxury brands.
Seo Ah, by contrast, routinely took the subway to school, owned not a single designer item, dressed similarly to her peers, bought the same bags and clothes as her friends, and loved street food like tteokbokki and other “junk” snacks—a pretty but utterly ordinary girl.
Her identity as a chaebol heiress only came to light because of a rookie reporter’s bold mistake.
But nothing changed much after that.
Seo Ah remained as lively as ever, and her friends still treated her exactly as before—because to them, she never seemed special at all.
Though they’d been momentarily startled by her sudden departure for France and the noticeable change in her afterward, she always reverted to her old self around them, and they quickly reconnected as if nothing had changed.
“Nothing happened. We decided to wait until after graduation to have a baby, remember?”
“What?! So you just slept?!”
Her friend’s raised voice made Seo Ah glance around. Fortunately, the café was nearly empty on a weekday afternoon.
It wasn’t embarrassment over the topic but caution—someone in earshot might take interest in chaebol marriages, might even recognize her. She couldn’t afford to look like she and Ha Joon were unhappy.
“Oh—sorry!”
Her friend, startled by her own outburst, quickly covered her own mouth with both hands.
From then on, both Seo Ah and her friends lowered their voices significantly, casting wary glances around as they spoke.
“We didn’t even sleep together. He seemed to work all night.”
“Seriously? All work, no play. I thought getting married suddenly meant he was finally noticing women.”
“I’ve told you over and over—our marriage is just a business extension.”
Her friends still found this version of Seo Ah slightly unfamiliar.
After all, Ha Joon had been her first love.
Before leaving for France, she’d been thrilled about marrying him—blushing and fidgeting whenever his name came up, even making him homemade chocolates for Valentine’s Day with passionate devotion.
Then, right after that Valentine’s Day, she’d abruptly announced she was leaving for France.
None of them knew what had happened that day—or what had happened in France—to cause such a drastic change.
“But still… you’re married now! Working through your wedding night is just too much!”
Others might see it that way, but for Seo Ah and Ha Joon, it felt normal. Last night’s brief teasing had made her worry for a moment—but since it turned out to be nothing, she was immensely relieved.
“But… if he’s had zero interest in women for twenty-seven years, isn’t that actually a problem? Could he possibly be… into men?”
Rumors like that had indeed circulated. Recently, as he rushed into marriage while being labeled a devoted man fixated solely on Seo Ah, she suspected he’d orchestrated it deliberately—after all, he was meticulous about his image.
Just then, one of the friends, who’d only been reacting silently until now, finally spoke up.
“Hey, I actually find that kind of sweet.”
“What is?”
“Well, Seo Ah said she wants a baby after university graduation, right? So he’s probably just restraining himself—despite wanting to.”
“Ohhh! That makes total sense! That’s actually super sweet!!”
Her friends squealed and writhed in excitement, but Seo Ah remained perfectly composed throughout.
Because that simply wasn’t possible. Not at all.
***
That evening,
“Madam, you’re home early. Didn’t you stay for dinner?”
“I have to prepare dinner.”
“But the young master said he’d be late tonight… didn’t you hear?”
At Yeon Suk’s words, Seo Ah’s eyes darted quickly. It wouldn’t help either of them if the staff sensed tension in their marriage. There would surely be watchful eyes.
Especially since Seo Ah’s own family belonged to the Yoo Young Group—whose stock price had been hitting daily trading limits lately.
“Oh! Right! Look at me—I’ve been so distracted lately I keep forgetting things.”
“Oh dear, with university exams coming up so soon and everything you had to handle for the wedding, no wonder you’re overwhelmed.”
She felt relieved—they seemed to believe her. What a shame, getting forgetful at just twenty-three.
“Yeah… exactly. Ha ha.”
She rubbed her neck awkwardly, smiling with embarrassment.
“We’ll prepare your meal, Madam, so please rest—Oh! Young Master!”
Startled by Yeon Suk’s exclamation, Seo Ah turned around—and there stood Ha Joon.
“You said you’d be late, but you came home early!”
Ha Joon glanced between Yeon Suk and Seo Ah. Seeing Seo Ah standing with her back to Yeon Suk, looking flustered, he seemed to grasp the situation immediately.
“I missed Seo Ah, so I wrapped things up quickly and came home.”
Seo Ah let out a quiet sigh of relief—but watching him lie so smoothly and effortlessly, without so much as a blink, reminded her painfully of his younger self.
“Oh my~ Young Master, really~. What about dinner, then?”
“I had a late lunch, so I’m not hungry.”
As Ha Joon headed upstairs, Seo Ah followed behind.
On the way to his room, he checked that no one else was around before closing the door, and she quickly tiptoed after him into the dressing room.
“You promised to tell me first if you’d be late.”
“You’re not late.”
Ha Joon handed her his jacket to take off, and Seo Ah accepted it absentmindedly before continuing.
“But—but Auntie thought you’d be late! Do you have any idea how mortified I felt?”
“Then you should’ve just said you hadn’t heard anything. That way, you wouldn’t have looked so awkward when I walked in.”
Next came his tie pin, then his tie, followed by his watch, wedding ring, and cufflinks—all placed one by one into her hands.
“Ha.”
Seo Ah let out an involuntary chuckle.
She walked over to the accessory display cabinet in the center of the dressing room and set everything down.
Clack!
The sound of the watch hitting the glass echoed sharply through the room.
“Handle these yourself, Mr. Kang Ha Joon.”
An awkward silence hung for a moment, making Seo Ah tense up instantly.
She worried the glass might have cracked, and as someone naturally gentle who rarely raised her voice, she felt uneasy about snapping at him—and even more nervous wondering if he’d noticed her discomfort.
“…Fine. I’ll call a housekeeper next time.”
Fortunately, he didn’t seem to pick up on it.
But—calling a housekeeper just for this? Just how princely was he raised?!
She doubted he’d ask Yeon Suk to do such a thing—but did he mean one of the younger female staff? That absolutely couldn’t be right! Just as she was about to confront him again,
Ha Joon, who’d already unbuttoned his shirt completely, suddenly flung it wide open.
Startled, Seo Ah whipped around—but immediately scolded herself for having just scanned his body, which was firmly sculpted with rugged, defined muscles.
Wait—what exactly did I just see? Is that even a human body?!
Noticing her expression, a faint smile traced Ha Joon’s lips.
“Then next time, make sure to tell me everything—even what you told Auntie.”
Trying to hide her flushed face, Seo Ah forced calmness into her voice and turned to leave—but Ha Joon’s arm blocked her path.
“Huh.”
Reflexively, Seo Ah held her breath. Ever since childhood, she’d had this habit—whenever he came close, she’d stop breathing.
She’d been trying hard to break it, not wanting to seem weak in front of him—but she hadn’t expected to face his bare chest and, flustered, she’d automatically held her breath again without realizing.
His forearm braced against the wall right before her eyes looked at least three times thicker than her own delicate arm—and unlike her smooth, slender limbs, his was corded with sexy, powerful tendons. She swallowed hard without meaning to.
Then his deep, resonant voice rumbled softly in her ear.
“What if you can’t manage that?”
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.]
Girl…. lol. How? She’s so comfortable. Haha. In a deep sleeper too but this? I’m giving the crown to her. Haha 🤣
I’m cackling…. Hahaha 😂 He better be pretending to sleep. Hahaha… I can’t imagine this. Lmfao.
I’m feeling giddy imagining all of this too. lol. Who wouldn’t?