Gyeo Wool abruptly stood up from her chair.
“Chai… Grandfather!”
She almost called him Chairman.
She quickly collected herself and approached the bed.
“How did you come? Tae Wook said he would only let me know when I was discharged.”
Joy overflowed in Chairman Kang’s eyes as he looked at Gyeo Wool.
“Hic!”
Gyeo Wool burst into tears again.
“Child. Why are you crying? Did Tae Wook say your grandfather’s days were numbered?”
Had Chairman Kang’s memory really returned to the past?
Though his voice lacked strength, he spoke to Gyeo Wool with the same friendly, joking manner as before, as if she were his granddaughter.
“Stop crying now.”
“I’m… sorry…”
Gyeo Wool’s voice was choked with tears and barely audible.
She kept recalling the back of Chairman Kang as he left after failing to persuade her when he came to stop the divorce.
She couldn’t forget how lonely and sad his drooping shoulders had looked.
−Don’t even think about coming if you hear news of my death.
The way she had treated Chairman Kang harshly that day.
Standing before him now, going against his wish to never see each other again in this life, filled her with regret and pain.
“Tae Wook, why is this child Gyeo Wool acting like this?”
When Gyeo Wool wouldn’t stop crying, Chairman Kang turned to Tae Wook with a worried look.
“She’s blaming herself for not knowing you were sick, grandfather.”
Tae Wook pushed off from the wall and walked over to Gyeo Wool.
Then he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
Surprised by his unexpected action, her eyes widened and her body froze like ice.
“I knew you’d cry and be upset like this.”
Tae Wook pulled Gyeo Wool tightly into his arms. As a result, she ended up fully embraced by him.
Half of her face was hidden against his chest.
Gyeo Wool realized Tae Wook had cleverly covered her surprised face.
“Don’t you see how worried grandfather is? Stop crying.”
A gentle, soothing voice.
Hot, moist breath scattered on her crown.
She could hear his strong heartbeat through her ear pressed against his firm left chest.
Gyeo Wool’s lips became parched from the intense closeness.
Yet even in this tense moment, unlike her body’s reaction, her heart was fluttering and tingling.
As if mistaking Tae Wook’s actions for real, not an act.
“I guess I shouldn’t have said I wanted to see Gyeo Wool. I should have waited until after discharge like you said, Tae Wook.”
“Even if you had decided that, grandfather, it would have been impossible. I had to tell her because she was so worried when we couldn’t reach you.”
“You could have just made up an excuse that I was having fun with pretty ladies in America. Tsk tsk.”
Chairman Kang clicked his tongue, as if to say Tae Wook couldn’t even do that much.
Then he shifted his gaze back to Gyeo Wool.
“Gyeo Wool.”
At Chairman Kang’s call, Tae Wook loosened his hold on Gyeo Wool’s body.
Gyeo Wool answered with a sniffle, “Yes.”
“Your face has turned so pale, you must have been so shocked to see your grandfather lying here.”
Chairman Kang’s gaze as he looked at her couldn’t have been more loving.
“Why do you think grandfather had surgery? It was to live long enough to hold my great-grandchild. So don’t be too disheartened.”
“You have to live for a very long time.”
“That’s not much of a thing to say.”
Chairman Kang reached out and took Gyeo Wool’s hand.
His rough, dry hand overlapped her soft, delicate one.
“I heard you went down to the resort to help Tae Wook with work?”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t it difficult?”
“It’s fine.”
“Take it easy. If you only chase after work, you might end up being forced to rest like this old man.”
“I already told her to reduce her work at the resort and come up to Seoul.”
Tae Wook naturally joined the conversation.
“Well done. It’s not good for a married couple to be apart for too long.”
Perhaps because he was in a good mood seeing Gyeo Wool, Chairman Kang sat up and continued light conversation.
But it didn’t last long.
He rapidly lost strength and complained of fatigue.
Tae Wook and Gyeo Wool left the room after seeing Chairman Kang quickly fall into a deep sleep.
[This is the timeline separator]Gyeo Wool was staring blankly out of the car window.
The street trees among the forest of buildings with only bare branches remaining.
Even the few remaining leaves were shaking precariously in the wind.
“You did well.”
Tae Wook’s voice pierced Gyeo Wool’s ears.
Only then did Gyeo Wool’s tension release, and she unknowingly let out a sigh of relief.
And she recalled when Tae Wook had wrapped his arm around her shoulders in the hospital room.
What if he hadn’t pulled her closer into his arms when she froze in surprise?
Wouldn’t Chairman Kang have immediately thought it strange?
It wouldn’t make sense for a married couple to be startled by such skinship.
“I’m sorry for the mistake earlier.”
“Mistake?”
“When you put your arm around my shoulder…”
“Ah! That.”
Tae Wook realized what she was trying to say before she could finish.
“I’ll be careful not to let something like that happen again.”
“You were just tense, so…”
He spoke as if he wasn’t bothered by it at all.
It was an unexpected reaction.
Gyeo Wool had thought Tae Wook would make an issue of the mistake she made in front of Chairman Kang.
She shifted her gaze from the window to Tae Wook.
“I thought you would be angry.”
“You thought I’d be angry?”
“Yes.”
Was she seeing things wrong?
The corners of Tae Wook’s lips curled up languidly.
He was smiling as he looked at her.
“I told you. Just don’t push me away. I’ll handle it. Something like earlier was rather…”
Tae Wook cut off his words and chuckled before continuing.
“Secretary Han might not know, but I liked it.”
“What? What do you mean…”
“It’s just something like that.”
Tae Wook spoke quickly as if glossing over it and turned his gaze away.
Gyeo Wool didn’t see the languid smile spreading across his lips as he faced forward.
It was exactly as he said.
When Tae Wook saw Gyeo Wool’s eyes widen in surprise and her body stiffen, he quickly pulled her into his arms.
The sense of relief and accomplishment he felt then.
The woman he had tried so hard to bring back to her place was in his arms.
If it hadn’t been in front of his grandfather, he might have embraced her crushingly and kissed her until his mouth melted.
“Let’s go eat lunch.”
“Already?”
“It’s 11:30, so it’s not that early.”
Tae Wook said, checking his wristwatch.
“I don’t really feel like lunch…”
“Let’s eat together anyway. I need to go to the office.”
Tae Wook thought Gyeo Wool wouldn’t be able to refuse anymore.
She knew well that once he went to the office, he would be buried in work and wouldn’t even think about eating.
“Alright. Let’s have lunch together.”
At that moment, the smile on Tae Wook’s lips deepened.
[This is the timeline separator]Tae Wook took Gyeo Wool to a Japanese restaurant.
“I’ll show you to your table.”
The waiter guided the two to a private room.
“Please ring the bell when you’ve chosen your menu.”
The waiter placed warm hand towels and menus, then left the room.
“This place is famous for its sushi.”
Tae Wook said as he slowly scanned the menu with his eyes.
Unlike him, Gyeo Wool didn’t have the peace of mind to open the menu placed in front of her.
“Tomorrow… what should we do?”
“What do you mean, what should we do? About what?”
Tae Wook took his eyes off the menu and gazed at Gyeo Wool, who looked deeply troubled.
“About visiting the Chairman.”
Before falling asleep, Chairman Kang had earnestly asked Gyeo Wool to come again tomorrow.
−Of course I’ll come tomorrow, so don’t worry and sleep well, grandfather.
Just before Gyeo Wool could speak, Tae Wook spoke first, a beat faster.
“I booked an afternoon flight thinking we’d go down to Jeju Island today.”
“Can’t we just stop by the hospital tomorrow before going down to Jeju?”
Tae Wook spoke easily as if it wasn’t much of a problem.
“Then…”
Gyeo Wool hesitated as if about to say something difficult.
“Please go to the hospital with me tomorrow.”
“What should I do? I have an appointment with a buyer tomorrow.”
Gyeo Wool’s face visibly darkened.
“I can go with you if it’s late in the evening.”
“But I have to go down to Jeju Island.”
Gyeo Wool barely swallowed a sigh that was about to escape and fiddled with the hand towel.
Having to meet Chairman Kang alone.
Just the thought made her heart race wildly and her breathing quicken.
What if the lie is discovered?
His memory could suddenly return.
Today she avoided a crisis because Tae Wook was there, but what if she makes a mistake?
“Is this okay?”
Tae Wook showed her the menu, pointing to the dishes he had chosen.
“Anything is fine.”
Gyeo Wool’s words came out snappishly without her realizing.
She also felt upset with him for not knowing what she was worrying about.
“Still, I should order what Secretary Han likes… No, I’ll decide myself.”
Perhaps because Gyeo Wool’s expression wasn’t good.
He pressed the bell to call the waiter.
“We’ll have Set B.”
“Understood. I’ll prepare it right away.”
“Wait!”
Tae Wook stopped the waiter who was about to leave after receiving the menu.
“Can you remove anything with egg, whether it’s sushi or whatever?”
“Yes, that’s possible.”
“Alright. Please do that.”
The waiter bowed and left the room.
Gyeo Wool looked at Tae Wook, who was carefully wiping his hands with the unfolded hand towel, with a suspicious gaze.
Their gazes met directly.
“You want to ask why I asked for the eggs to be removed, right?”
Tae Wook asked as if he had entered and exited Gyeo Wool’s mind.
“That’s right.”
“You have an egg allergy, don’t you, Secretary Han?”
“How, how did you know that?”
Gyeo Wool asked in surprise.
She had no memory of telling Tae Wook about her allergy.
“That day.”
“Pardon?”
“That day, when we ate sushi together.”
Unfortunately, Gyeo Wool couldn’t recall which day Tae Wook was referring to.
“I guess I’m the only one who remembers.”
Was it just her imagination?
The fleeting hint of disappointment that seemed to linger at the end of Tae Wook’s chuckle before disappearing.
__________
“Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!”
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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