Since she couldn’t fall asleep, Hyeju readily entered the small space that Juwon had prepared.
“You came out to sleep in the car?”
“Yeah. It’s a car modified for camping.”
“I see. There’s lighting, blankets, and even toothpaste and toothbrushes? Wow, if that’s the case, why did you bother renting a room?”
“You should be comfortable.”
Ah, he rented the accommodation for me to be comfortable.
Hyeju, who had been complaining, suddenly felt embarrassed.
“Surprisingly, the CEO has good manners.”
“It’s for the sake of employee welfare.”
“Well, I suppose so.”
“But you.”
Juwon stared at Hyeju intently.
“How long are you going to call me like that?”
“Huh?”
“It’s past 6 o’clock, and yet you keep calling me ‘CEO,’ making me feel like I haven’t finished work.”
“Well, what should I call you?”
“Let’s be comfortable when we’re alone. We didn’t call each other that way when we were in high school.”
What did I call Kang Juwon when I was in high school?
Hyeju pondered for a moment. Suddenly, a vivid word popped into her mind.
Oh. Bba.
Yes, there was a time when I called Kang Juwon “oppa.” We didn’t have many reasons to address each other, but still, I used that term.
“If the formality eases, I might take advantage of it. Is that okay?”
“That’s why I’m laying the groundwork for you.”
There’s no need to be so formal about it. Calling him “CEO, CEO” all the time used to make it difficult for me to speak properly and it felt forced, but now I can match him.
“Then I’ll casually take it. Oh, bba.”
“Sounds good.”
Juwon turned his head with a lazy smile.
Music was playing inside the car. The clear voice of a female singer blended well with the sound of raindrops, like the chirping of birds.
Juwon tilted his head slightly and closed his eyes.
Hyeju stared at the sharp profile line under his forehead as if she were captivated. Her fingers moved rhythmically as if they were keeping pace with the calm throbbing of her heart, savoring the air of the dark night sky.
“You’ll misunderstand if you keep staring like that.”
Juwon spoke with his eyes closed.
“I’m telling you it’s not like that, but it doesn’t seem like you believe me.”
His low voice was sweet, like a whisper. Was it the spell cast by the night that made his usual voice sound so enchanting?
“I’m curious about what you’re thinking. It’s raining, and we can hear the sound of the waves… You’re not thinking about work, right?”
“Do you feel this nervous too?”
The corners of Juwon’s mouth slightly curled upwards.
“I was thinking about that.”
“!”
“He said, ‘You too.'”
Those two simple words pierce through my heart, causing it to flutter uncontrollably.
Since earlier, my racing heart has been throbbing as if it’s been hit by a barrage of artillery.
“I’m not completely fine either. Probably… because it’s just the two of us. Of course, even if Seungwon were sitting next to me instead of the CEO, it would be the same.”
“Oppa.”
Ju Won corrected the form of address.
“…Yes, oppa. Well, it’s not because you’re oppa that I’m nervous or anything.”
“It feels that way because it’s you.”
“Really?”
“I’m certain because you’re beside me.”
Unintentionally, Hye Ju pressed her lips together to stifle a muffled sound.
“What did I just hear?”
It feels like I heard something tremendous, but I can’t grasp it as reality. Hye Ju looked at Ju Won with trembling eyes.
Ju Won continued to keep his eyes closed in the same posture. Seeing his calm profile that seemed almost unaffected by the breeze, the situation felt even more surreal.
“Is this a confession? No, it’s a bit ambiguous to call it a confession… Then, what is this?”
Unable to find a clue, Hye Ju only rolled her eyes and quickly changed the subject.
“Haha… The song is nice. What’s the title again? You know, the one sung by that girl with a fair and innocent face! The soju advertisement model. Do you happen to know what it is? Ah, I’m really curious.”
Despite doing nothing, it felt unbearably hot. Unable to withstand the awkward atmosphere, Hye Ju fanned herself and kept moving her body.
“Oh my, the lighting is so intense. Can we dim it a bit? Ah, here’s the switch.”
As Hye Ju moved hastily, her palm pressed firmly on the light switch.
Click.
“!”
The stage lights went out, and darkness instantly enveloped the scene. In the midst of the confusion, someone accidentally turned off the lights instead of adjusting the brightness.
Complete darkness.
Amidst the suffocating silence, Ju Won slowly lifted his eyelids. Startled by the chaotic situation, Hye Ju and his eyes met. Hye Ju couldn’t help but feel paralyzed by his eyes, which sparkled more explosively than when the lights were on.
Two people gazing at each other as if time had stopped.
Ju Won’s lips slowly parted.
“Should we kiss?”
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.”
