Like attracts like, but how could they be so strikingly similar in their exasperating behavior? Ra-jin barely held back from shouting her dislike for Kim Yu-jun.
Disgusted by Jin Jae-yi’s attitude, treating her like an adulteress for no moral misdoing, Ra-jin had neither reason nor patience to endure such treatment.
“This meeting wasn’t scheduled from the beginning. What to do?”
Deliberately smiling more courteously and brightly, as if sincerely asking for understanding, she then turned her gaze to the director who had put her in this uncomfortable position.
“Director, I think I’ll take my leave now.”
“Oh, no. Ra-jin. Just a little…”
“It’s not like the director is one to show off celebrity connections.”
Lightly bowing, Ra-jin promptly stood up.
“Use your discretion wisely, Park Ra-jin.”
“…”
“I’m really holding back a lot.”
In front of the director, known as the entertainment industry’s loudspeaker, this was not something to say. Acting as if she was dying to become the center of gossip, Jin Jae-yi was unrestrained.
‘I’ve long run out of patience because of you and Kim Yu-jun.’
Swallowing what she wanted to say, Ra-jin gave a slight smile as if she had no clue what Jin Jae-yi was talking about. Jin Jae-yi’s dismissive laugh followed.
“If I lose my patience, things will get very interesting. Look forward to it.”
Thinking she would be scared by such shallow threats?
Would it change things if she talked about her escape from the hotel? If she exposed everything about that day in front of these people, would Jin Jae-yi still talk about patience? Ra-jin wanted to see that.
If Jin Jae-yi likes Kim Yu-jun so much, why bother with stocks or shares – just marry him. While taking everything she can, why create a fuss over someone irrelevant? Ra-jin couldn’t comprehend.
Suppressing her sense of absurdity, Ra-jin nodded her head.
Click, the door opened, and the executive office secretaries all stood up. As Ra-jin passed by with a nod, faint voices reached her ears.
“Mr. Executive will be coming up soon. What should we do?”
“Shall we stop her?”
“How can we? A confrontation would do no good. It’ll just spread rumors.”
The ‘Executive’ the secretaries were referring to must be Kim Yu-jun. So, the picture Jin Jae-yi wanted was to brand Ra-jin as an unwelcome intruder.
Ra-jin’s nape stiffened at the thought of this absurd confrontation plan.
Ever since her escape from the hotel, she hadn’t yet encountered Kim Yu-jun, but if she wasn’t careful, she felt like she might run into him.
“Ugh.”
Ra-jin decisively bypassed the elevator and headed towards the emergency stairs.
Thud, the door closed with an echo in the empty space, the green exit sign above clearly marking the 28th floor.
“Annoying people.”
Not exactly a glamorous runaway, she sighed heavily at this unbelievable reality.
“Let’s go. For now.”
The moment Ra-jin started to walk, a chill seeped in between her jeweled strap sandals and her flowing dress. To avoid falling, she immediately grabbed the stair railing for support.
Her high heels, thinner than her little finger and 10 cm tall, wobbled dangerously with each step down the stairs, causing her ankles and knees to tremble.
“That director, I swear, never again!”
The endless staircase seemed like an unending nightmare, twisting and turning without cease. Ra-jin, sweating, tucked her clinging hair behind her ear and gripped her cumbersome skirt tightly.
Now on the 10th floor, she heaved a sigh, “Seriously…”
Exasperated, the words “I’m so annoyed” burst out with her hot breath. Finally, on the 7th floor, Ra-jin sat down, her eyes burning with frustration.
Should she have just taken the elevator, regardless of possibly bumping into Kim Yu-jun? It wasn’t as if she was headed to a suite in his fiancée’s hotel, so why endure this ordeal?
Overwhelmed by both mental and physical exhaustion, Ra-jin leaned her head against the stair railing, trying to catch her breath.
“Ah! Ha-eun.”
She reached for her phone to check where Ha-eun was.
“Huh?”
Dozens of messages, all from Ha-eun.
The urgency in Ha-eun’s messages was clear.
Ra-jin had no intention of being played by whatever plan Jin Jae-yi and Kim Yu-jun were concocting.
Leaning her head back, Ra-jin took a deep breath and quickly typed a message.
Without waiting for Ha-eun’s reply, Ra-jin scrolled through her contacts and quickly called actor Sun Woo-jin.
The call was brief.
[Oh, hey, bro! Is it that late already?]Before she could even say hello, Sun Woo-jin’s voice came through, feigning ignorance.
[Now? Oh, finished my drink. Ah, right. Time to get up. Okay then!]His convincing act made Ra-jin listen silently to his method acting.
Loud farewells, cheerful laughter, and heavy footsteps echoed through the phone, followed by the sound of a door slamming shut.
[Speak.]“I need a lift.”
Sun Woo-jin chuckled.
[Leaving first without any loyalty. Why should I give you a lift?]“I’m sitting in the emergency staircase right now.”
[What about your manager?]“You saw at the filming site. He’s loyal only to the company head.”
His laughter grew louder at her blunt remark.
[We might start dating rumors this way.]“That’ll be good for the drama’s success. Will you give me a lift or not?”
[Come to basement level 1.]Ra-jin ended the call, thanking him for his help. She couldn’t easily walk to the basement in her beautiful but impractical shoes. Unstrapping her jeweled sandals, Ra-jin dialed prosecutor Kang Ji-ho.
[Yes, Kang Ji-ho speaking.]“About your call earlier…”
[Have you eaten?]Confused by his serious tone asking about food, Ra-jin chuckled.
“If you’re planning to ask a difficult favor over food, like last time…”
She implied her discomfort, but he seemed to understand without further words.
[After being so flatly rejected last time. Would I try that again?]“……”
[Let’s meet. Us.]The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
