Jiho looked at La Jin’s slender fingertips.
“That’s a peach tree.”
“Do you grow peaches in a vinyl greenhouse?”
“I’m not sure about that. Should I ask?”
As Jiho took out his phone, apparently intending to ask, La Jin vigorously shook the hand he held.
“No, it’s okay. It’s just fascinating that the fruits are ripening even in a vinyl house. I’m kind of a peach ghost.”
“Is that so?”
Upon this new fact, Jiho gently stroked La Jin’s white cheek. Then, La Jin alternately looked at the peach-like fruit, which was just a ping pong ball, and Jiho’s face.
“Jiho, I have something curious to ask.”
“What is it?”
“When I count one, two, three, please answer right away.”
Wondering what she was talking about, Jiho nodded seriously.
“Rock, paper, scissors? One, two, three!”
La Jin, counting numbers while extending her fingers, made a playful laugh in response to Jiho.
“Is this important?”
“Yes. With this, we can find out if we are destined or not.”
“I’m afraid to answer because it might not be La Jin’s destiny.”
Despite Jiho’s concern, she was so serious that she couldn’t help but be serious. Biting her lips, she raised her eyebrows.
“I’ll ask again. Please answer carefully. Rock, paper?”
“Paper?”
“!”
Jumping up like someone who won a lottery, La Jin hung on Jiho’s shoulder.
How much she liked it, her floral-patterned hat danced around her neck. At the simple question, La Jin couldn’t contain her excitement, feeling as if she had met her destined partner.
“As expected! I knew Jiho would answer like that.”
La Jin, who kept praising, had cheeks that looked like ripe peaches.
Is this such a good thing?
Whether it’s firm or soft, peaches are fruits to be eaten when they’re in front of you and mourned when they’re not. How lucky it was that she didn’t say “rock.” With a relieved sigh at Jiho’s skillful avoidance after a long time, La Jin finally spoke.
“Should I ask one more question?”
“Go ahead. It’s fun.”
“Well… If you get this right, it’s really fate.”
“That makes me more curious.”
La Jin exhaled deeply, as if taking a deep breath. Then, like someone sending telepathy, she widened her eyes.
“White peach? Yellow peach?”
“Yes?”
“White… Oh! No. Just think about it. I’ll hear your answer at an important moment.”
La Jin, who said she wasn’t ready yet, cooled herself with a fan-like motion. Still, couldn’t she give a hint like this much? Jiho, excited like a rabbit, kissed the forehead of La Jin, who was large like a rabbit. Then, he whispered to her, as if reaching her eyebrow but not quite.
“I’ll answer later, but I’ll tell you one thing.”
“What is it?”
“This peach tree is a white peach.”
“!!”
La Jin blocking her mouth already looked like she had guessed the correct answer. So delighted, happiness was dropping like droplets from her large eyes.
“Hey, here. I really like it.”
“When the peaches under the tree ripen, I’ll ask you to contact me.”
“Really?”
“Spread a mat under our peach tree and eat to your heart’s content. Like lazy people do.”
She applauded La Jin, saying she’s better than any gift. Then, she began counting the green fruits with her fingers. Does it feel like she has truly become wealthy?
A person who lives off public popularity with a glamorous appearance can be so simple. Every time Jiho saw a different side of La Jin, he was amazed.
In reality, Jiho had a background different enough to be called a silver spoon, or rather a diamond spoon. He always associated with people in top positions, mingled privately with various criminals, and met them publicly.
Having a lot or not having more than others did not determine a person’s nature. The more he experienced, the more Jiho realized that the unknown was inherent to human nature.
Disillusionment with humanity, catastrophes brought about by greed, and the prejudices resulting from these events. Like an occupational disease, Jiho’s prejudice began to shatter as he met La Jin.
Despite experiencing misfortune that was not her fault, La Jin never harbored resentment toward anyone. She just quietly moved forward. Jiho found La Jin, who was like that, pitiful yet admirable.
She happily spoke as she circled the peach tree, and if one does not feel any emotions for such a person, as Hojin said, they might as well be a stone. Jiho passed by the fresh spinach and reddish-brown lettuce, brushing against the blueberry tree that grew up to his knees.
“La Jin.”
He sweetly called her.
“My heart is pounding a lot…”
“?!?!”
“Can you hug me for a moment?”
When Jiho opened his arms toward La Jin, her blushing cheeks approached him with determination. Then, she warmly embraced Jiho’s back. Like a true gift.
⭐⭐⭐
The two of them played without a break, as if every minute and every second were precious.
Even though no one asked them to, they started picking strawberries as if playing a game. Jiho, with no reason to win against La Jin, and not wanting to, lazily enjoyed the laziness.
“Ha! I won.”
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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