Breaking Matchmaking (5 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 8
Early morning, the staff lounge buzzed with chatter and brunch.
“I haven’t decided what to do yet—if there’s nothing planned, I’ll just stay home and rest.”
Sharing an assortment of breads laid out in the center, everyone excitedly talked about their upcoming vacations.
“A proper vacation needs some swimming.”
“I’m going on a hotel staycation with our Oh Gun. I’ve booked K Hotel!”
“Ohhh, a staycation! Sounds amazing, Nurse Oh.”
When Nurse Oh proudly announced this, Sung Min responded with an envious tone.
“Teacher Moon should find a good match soon too.”
“What’s with that pitiful look? Either introduce someone or stop staring like that.”
Everyone fell silent, eating only bread. Sung Min swallowed his bite with a suddenly serious expression and straightened his head.
“Ah, I get it now.”
“What do you get?”
“You’re not mistakenly thinking there’s something going on between me, Chae Won, or maybe even Teacher Kim—and that’s why you’re not setting me up, are you?”
Pfft. The staff burst into mocking laughter, and Sung Min glared back even more intensely.
“We’ve never once suspected anything like that!”
“Why not? Why wouldn’t you?”
Annoyed, Sung Min protested, and Chae Won quietly let out a chuckle.
“No, it’s not like that.”
Of average height and build, with a humorous personality and refreshing charm—yet his notably unattractive face meant he’d never once been mistaken for Chae Won’s romantic interest, no matter how often they were seen together.
“What is it, Ji Hye? Why stop mid-sentence? That’s seriously making me feel weird.”
As Chae Won smiled faintly and took a sip of her warm coffee, Nurse Oh opened her mouth in a voice as tiny as an ant’s.
“Um, Teacher… who was that man before?”
“A man?”
“Oh, come on—you know who I mean.”
Nurse Oh set down her bread and began explaining in earnest.
“He’s about this tall, with seriously broad shoulders—and wore a suit like no joke… kind of resembled that model Kang Hyuk.”
Given their location in a dermatology clinic surrounded by countless entertainment agencies, it wasn’t rare to see tall, broad-shouldered male celebrities coming and going.
But seeing Nurse Oh’s eyes—normally hard to impress—suddenly widen as she described him, they knew.
She was talking about Choi Yu Gun.
“Could it be that tall man who came in a few days ago when I was here?”
Sung Min asked Nurse Oh, who nodded vigorously with even wider eyes.
“Yes, yes! Exactly!”
Still wearing a sour expression, Sung Min turned to Chae Won.
“He wasn’t just a patient?”
“Yeah. Someone I know.”
The staff erupted in excitement, shouting, “Wow!”
“So he’s your crush? Eek, tell us more! What does he do?”
He looked like a model—or maybe a rookie actor?
Everyone even put down their bread, which they’d never let go of before, and started speculating about him.
“Crush? Nothing like that.”
In a month, they’d be waving goodbye with smiles.
Chae Won picked up her diary and stood.
“Alright, everyone enjoy your food and get back to work. Have a nice day.”
Ignoring the staff’s pleas for more details, Chae Won stepped out.
Entering her consultation room, she stood before the mirror, put on her white coat over her well-chosen blouse, and carefully checked her appearance for any disarray.
Though the tight blouse might be slightly inconvenient for work, she simply couldn’t sacrifice style—ever.
Hearing her phone buzz, Chae Won glanced at the message.
“Hmm… common but nice—‘movie theater.’”
It was Yu Gun’s message about their first date location today.
He’d initially only wanted to pretend, but now claimed he needed a photo as proof.
Still, being able to simulate a relationship by just meeting daily and snapping one photo—and using that to hide Hee Joo’s comatose condition—was perhaps fortunate.
As she typed her reply, Sung Min peeked in after a knock.
“Is it fair to selfishly diet alone? You brought all that bread and haven’t even touched it.”
Chae Won set her phone down after sending the reply.
“You know I don’t eat breakfast.”
“You’ve got a full schedule all day—can you really manage with just a rushed lunch?”
“I need to earn money.”
“So you’re giving up lunch break just to see Ms. Han Ji Sook? I thought she missed her appointment.”
“Of course—I’m going to be rich.”
“Wow, impressive! Kim Chae Won.”
She always spoke like that, but in truth, she carried far more professional dedication than she let on.
While she might prioritize cosmetic procedures otherwise, when it came to patients who genuinely needed treatment, she’d often sacrifice even her lunch hour.
The burn patient she cared for would lose the chance for full recovery if the critical treatment window passed.
“Moon Sung Min.”
Sung Min sat down in front of Chae Won, smoothing his permed hair.
“Why are you yelling my full name so seriously all of a sudden?”
“Are you free this weekend?”
“Huh? I’ll be busy.”
“I’ll call you—answer your phone.”
“Seriously, I might be busy!”
“Sometime between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.—I’ll text you the place.”
Still leaning back in his chair, legs idly swinging, Sung Min sat up as if to protest.
“No, I plan to sleep in that day, and I’ll probably be busy anyway.”
“Oh—I forgot my coffee.”
Chae Won stood and walked back out to get it.
“Hey, hey! Kim Chae Won!”
Left behind, Sung Min let out an exasperated “Huh?” with a baffled expression.
“Who am I even talking to? Huh?”
With no choice, he got up and muttered, tilting his head.
“Wait—could she be setting me up on a blind date?”
Ah, is that it?
Sung Min, now imagining the best-case scenario, soon left with a smile on his face.
*
While working, Jae Min picked up a baby’s ultrasound photo that caught his eye.
“Our little Kongal—I miss you already.”
He grinned briefly before slowly straightening up.
“But where exactly is that poor girl, with no maternal home to return to?”
Kim Hee Joo was naive and innocent, utterly unfamiliar with the world’s harsh realities.
Even when they first met as lawyer and client on the day her father died in a hit-and-run, her pure face had been soaked in tears.
Watching from the sidelines, he’d seen how kind, gentle, and fragile she was—enough to stir his protective instincts, which had drawn him to her.
But ever since hearing a shaman claim their family’s misfortunes after marriage were due to Hee Joo’s father’s spirit lingering in this world, he’d gradually begun to feel suffocated and irritated by everything about her—without even realizing it himself.
“Where are you right now? What are you doing?”
Jae Min called her, voice sharp and eyes narrowed.
—Do you miss me that much?
“What? Seriously? That’s not what I meant!”
—I’ll miss you, but just hold on till the weekend.
“Hey!”
—You’ve always just yelled ‘Hey!’ Call me by name. That’s way too cheap-sounding.
“What’s cheap about it?”
Jae Min closed his eyes as if holding back, then opened them and spoke gently.
“Alright, Kim Hee Joo. I’ll give you more money—let’s divorce.”
—Why bother calling just to say something so obvious?
Did she leave home and suddenly become money-hungry?
“What’s obvious? What have you even done?”
—I lived with your mother, managed the household, and diligently fed you and your whole family.
“What?”
—Don’t lawyers know? Assets must be divided according to contribution upon divorce.
He supposed even someone like Kim Hee Joo might get greedy when facing divorce.
She’d probably done some online research to claim as much as possible.
Glancing at the ultrasound in his hand, Jae Min sighed deeply, as if he’d shown great patience.
“Fine. I’ll give you half. That’s generous, isn’t it?”
—I’ve told you how many times that’s the minimum. And I already said—divorce is on hold.
“Why are you acting like this! I’m offering you plenty!”
—We’ll talk on the weekend. I’m busy now.
“Hey! Hello? Kim Hee Joo! Hey!”
No matter how much he called, there was no reply.
One hand gripping the disconnected phone, the other clutching the ultrasound photo, Jae Min squeezed his eyes shut and let out a groan.
“I’m going crazy, seriously.”
How much longer did she plan to hold out?
She’d even tracked him down in person and lied about memory loss from the accident to avoid unfavorable terms—it was clearly a scheme to delay the divorce.
He resolved to settle this properly when she came that weekend—and clenched his fist tightly.
*
After a brief glance at Hee Joo’s still-unconscious face, Chae Won arrived at the movie theater—their agreed meeting spot.
It was a weekday afternoon, so crowds were light but steady.
At the ticket counter, she found Choi Yu Gun standing calmly, drawing glances from every passing woman.
“How can you be so composed when everyone’s staring at you?”
Without even trying, his sheer presence gave Chae Won a strange feeling.
Maybe it was because she hadn’t dated—but other than Moon Sung Min, no man had ever waited for her like this, which felt oddly unfamiliar.
Of course, unlike Sung Min, this man radiated an entirely different level of tension.
“I can’t let myself be intimidated.”
Chae Won removed the half-up hairpin that gave her a demure look and shook her hair loose.
With her lustrous hair swaying, she walked toward him.
“You’re such a gentleman—always arriving early.”
“You’re five minutes late.”
Chae Won gave a faint smile and nodded a couple times, masking her embarrassment.
She’d deliberately used flattery—but it hadn’t worked.
“I’m just naturally considerate and always yielding by nature.”
Yu Gun tilted his head slightly as Chae Won began an oddly abrupt explanation with a coy expression.
“When I see someone cutting in line, I think, ‘Oh, they must be in a hurry,’ and let them go. I always let strollers, elderly people, and kids enter elevators before me. There were so many chances to be considerate today—if not for that, I’d have arrived ten minutes early. You should blame my overflowing kindness and consideration!”
“There was a parking ticket on your car.”
Chae Won’s pitiful expression faltered, her eyes flickering slightly.
“License plate 9355—right?”
Had he gotten her plate number from their blind date info—or was it because they lived in the same apartment complex?
Her privacy clearly needed urgent protection.
“There’s… an unavoidable reason for that.”
“I see.”
Half-lost in thought, Chae Won glanced around and changed the subject.
“Taking the photo with that background over there would look perfect—very movie-theater-ish.”
He turned toward where she pointed and, relieved by the shifted mood, nodded in agreement.
“Sure.”
“We’ll use your phone?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll always take pictures with my phone.”
“Go ahead.”
Strutting along, Chae Won boasted about various things—her phone’s excellent camera quality, how she looked great even without beauty filters.
“I was in the drama club back in middle school, so I’ll do a little acting. Pretending to be affectionate lovers for the photo—no worries at all.”
“I see.”
“Let’s go for a sweet, smiling concept for the first photo—just us.”
Chae Won moved to the spot she’d indicated and approached a passing theater employee.
“Sorry to bother you while you’re busy—could you take a photo of us?”
“Oh, sure!”
The kind employee took the phone, and Chae Won stepped right beside Yu Gun.
As Chae Won naturally smiled and looked up at him, he quietly turned his head as planned.
He didn’t smile as openly as she did—but since his usual expression was so blank, even that slight curve of his lips made his face look remarkably soft.
“Alright, I’ll take it now.”
Hearing the employee’s gentle voice, they locked eyes.
Chae Won felt oddly flustered from the prolonged eye contact and quickly looked away.
“Oh—it came out blurry. Let me take a few more!”
With no choice, Chae Won fixed her gaze back into his eyes.
His steady, deep gaze slowly traced from her nose down to her fair cheeks and slightly parted red lips, as if gently caressing her.
Then it rose again to meet her eyes once more.
Feeling strangely stirred, Chae Won tugged her drooping lips back into a smile and asked,
“But… were you in the drama club too, Choi Yu Gun?”
Knowing he was the CEO of an entertainment agency, she asked with some confidence.
“No.”
“Oh—I see.”
Then why do your eyes look like that?
His melodrama-worthy gaze up close was no joke.
Telling herself not to be charmed by such eyes, Chae Won immediately put some distance between them the moment the photo session ended.
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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