Couples in Love (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
Every time people poured out of the arrivals hall at Incheon International Airport, there was someone scanning left and right like a meerkat.
It was Deputy Manager Na Mi Ran from the Secretarial Office of K1 Construction’s Development Business Division, who had come to pick up her boss after he’d suddenly announced his return.
After repeating this process several times, Deputy Manager Na Mi Ran finally spotted the person she’d been waiting for, and a smile spread across her face.
“Over here, Director Ahn Yong Ki.”
“Deputy Manager Na Mi Ran, it’s been a while. Has it really been a year?”
“Yes, time flies. And Head Manager Jin Sunwoo?”
“He’ll be out shortly. He seems to be running a bit late—he’s on the phone with the Vice Chairman.”
“Oh, there he is, coming out now.”
Na Mi Ran nearly failed to recognize Sunwoo, dressed casually in a knit sweater and cotton pants, but quickly approached him to greet him.
“Welcome back, Head Manager. Was your flight comfortable?”
“Yes, I had a smooth trip.”
Though they’d stayed in regular contact via phone and email, meeting face-to-face after a year still felt tentative.
He seemed a bit thinner, and the Marseille sun had bronzed his handsome face.
That only accentuated his masculinity so much that Na Mi Ran almost felt a flutter in her chest.
‘Get a grip—he’s married! You need to stay at this company for the long haul!’
Quickly pulling herself together, Deputy Manager Na Mi Ran led them toward the parking lot.
“Secretary Na, how much time do we have until the meeting?”
“It’s at 7 p.m., so we have plenty of time.”
After a brief silence, Sunwoo slowly turned his head and looked at Deputy Manager Na Mi Ran.
“Where is my wife right now?”
Sunwoo’s sudden inquiry about Green caused an awkward silence in the car. After all, he hadn’t once asked about her well-being or what she’d been doing over the past year.
Secretary Office Director Ahn Yong Ki, who could usually guess Sunwoo’s mood from just a glance, had noticed a clear change in him ever since hearing about what happened at Jin Young Cheol’s 60th birthday banquet.
When he first heard that Jin Young Cheol had harshly berated Green while expelling the uninvited guest Han Moon Taek, Sunwoo’s expression remained indifferent—so much so that even his friend Yong Ki had been momentarily fooled.
But when Yong Ki saw Sunwoo intensely comparing Green’s recent photos from the banquet with older ones and then abruptly rearranging his entire overseas schedule to rush back to Korea the next day, he finally realized it:
Despite having neglected her for the past year, Green clearly wasn’t insignificant to Sunwoo.
“Madam said she’ll come straight here from the salon—to Director Park Chan Wook’s house in Pyeongchang-dong.”
At Secretary Na’s reply, Sunwoo immediately pulled out his phone and dialed Green’s number.
“The number you have dialed is not in service…”
For a moment, Sunwoo wondered if he’d accidentally dialed the wrong number and double-checked the contact name. It was definitely Han Green’s number.
“Secretary Na, has my wife changed her phone number?”
“Yes. I heard she changed it right after the wedding last year.”
Sitting in the front passenger seat, Secretary Na Mi Ran didn’t notice Sunwoo’s confusion in the back and answered cheerfully.
Director Ahn Yong Ki then stepped in and asked her instead.
“If Madam changed her number, why didn’t you report it to the Head Manager?”
“Huh? Oh—I assumed the Vice Chairman had arranged it, so of course I thought the Head Manager already knew. You didn’t?”
Of course he hadn’t. Since all updates about Green had always come through Secretary Na, he’d never felt the need to contact her personally.
Only then did Secretary Na realize the atmosphere had turned odd, so she quickly sent Green’s new number to Sunwoo.
“Madam’s new number—I’ve just sent it…”
Sunwoo saved Green’s updated number and tucked his phone back into his pocket.
He wanted to call her right away and ask where she was, but with both secretaries watching, he didn’t feel like speaking to her just now. So he changed the subject.
“How has Father been lately?”
“Former Congressman Jin Young Cheol has been in seclusion since his birthday banquet. I think he’s still deeply shaken by his loss in the general election.”
“It’s no small feat to serve five terms in the National Assembly. Honestly, even four terms is impressive…”
At Director Ahn’s consoling words, one corner of Sunwoo’s mouth tilted upward.
“Exactly—there’s no end to human greed if you aim for a fifth term.”
Muttering just loudly enough for Ahn to hear, Sunwoo’s thoughts drifted to another troublesome father figure.
“What about Han Moon Taek? Has he been contacting K1’s marketing team or the secretarial office lately?”
“Yes, he calls often—begging to know when you’ll return and asking for your local contact details. More notably, he’s recently been meeting frequently with CEOs of strong mid-sized companies like JUNO Tire and Shine Electronics.”
Hearing Deputy Manager Na Mi Ran’s report, Sunwoo unconsciously furrowed his brow. Han Moon Taek was most dangerous when his motives were unclear.
“Hah! Good grief!”
Director Ahn Yong Ki frowned briefly, then glanced at Sunwoo to gauge his reaction.
“What’s wrong, Director Ahn?”
“Well—the eldest son of JUNO Tire recently filed for divorce, according to the news. And the third son of Shine Electronics, who happens to be my middle school classmate, got divorced last year too.”
Noticing the common thread among the people Han Moon Taek had been approaching, Sunwoo had to suppress a strange sense of discomfort.
*****
Upon arriving at Park Chan Wook’s house in Pyeongchang-dong, Green took a deep breath and headed toward the backyard, where the event was being held.
Even the first time she visited, she’d been overwhelmed by the mansion’s imposing grandeur—but now, decorated even more lavishly, it felt like stepping into a palace courtyard.
When Green arrived, dozens of distant relatives had already gathered to celebrate his 78th birthday. Dozens of eyes instantly fixed on her like she was a single blooming tulip.
The mixture of admiring and envious gazes made her bare skin prickle.
She quickly scanned the crowd and walked toward today’s host, Park Chan Wook, and her mother-in-law, Park In Young.
“You’re here?”
“Yes, Mother.”
After giving In Young a light nod, Green bowed respectfully to Park Chan Wook and spoke the words she’d rehearsed in her mind hundreds of times.
“Happy birthday, Grandfather. I wish Sunwoo could have come with me—I’m sure you’re disappointed. Please stay healthy and remain with us for a long, long time.”
“Thank you. Your words are as lovely as your face.”
“That’s too kind of you.”
Green was overjoyed—she couldn’t contain her happiness at having successfully delivered her prepared birthday wishes.
She’d regretted feeling so intimidated by Park Chan Wook’s charisma during their first meeting that she’d been overly meek.
“You’re not flattering me—you truly look exquisite today. In Young, how can Sunwoo leave behind such a beautiful wife and stay in France?”
“What can he do? He’s working hard for Father’s company, isn’t he?”
Though Park Chan Wook had claimed he’d withhold judgment, In Young had noticed his attitude toward Green had softened over the past year, so she gently teased him. Predictably, Park chuckled heartily.
Encouraged by his laughter, Green presented a carefully wrapped frame.
“It’s a modest birthday gift.”
“Oh? I wonder what my daughter-in-law brought me.”
Park Chan Wook’s eyes widened as he unwrapped the gift.
“What in the world…? When was this taken?”
Inside the frame was a photo Green had taken of Park Chan Wook himself.
It captured him delivering a speech at K1 Construction’s founding anniversary ceremony earlier this year, standing before all employees.
Rendered in black and white, the image radiated the commanding presence of a tiger, with the piercing gaze of an eagle. His tightly clenched fist and raised right arm embodied sheer strength.
In that single photograph, Green had perfectly captured the image Park Chan Wook had always wanted of himself—as the formidable leader of K1 Construction.
“Who took this?”
“I did.”
When Park looked at her in surprise, In Young answered for her from the side.
“She majored in photography in college.”
Green was startled to hear this—she didn’t remember ever telling In Young that.
Watching Green hand over the framed photo, In Young asked with interest,
“You brought a camera to the anniversary event? I don’t recall seeing you with one.”
“No, Mother. I took it with my smartphone.”
This time, it was In Young’s turn to be amazed—she couldn’t believe such high-quality photography was possible with a smartphone.
“The phone you bought me has four lenses, so portraits turn out especially well. Of course, I did minor retouching too.”
Green gave a playful wink, and Park Chan Wook let out another deeply satisfied laugh.
“Can you enlarge it?”
“How large?”
“As large as possible!”
To Green, Park’s enthusiastic insistence on making it “bigger” seemed so childlike that the usual tension she felt around him eased a little.
She giggled softly and winked cutely.
“I’ll print it as large as possible without losing quality. I’m glad you like it.”
Park Chan Wook nodded vigorously, clearly delighted, and looked at Green warmly.
“This is my favorite birthday gift today. Ask me for anything you want, daughter-in-law—I’ll grant it.”
In Young stared at her father in shock—this kind of impulsive promise was extremely rare for him.
Unaware of this, Green’s eyes sparkled as she asked,
“Really? I can?”
“Yes. Tell me what you want.”
For a split second, Park’s eyes sharpened. Unaware she was being tested, Green spoke her truest wish.
“Please call me your granddaughter-in-law—not just ‘Sunwoo’s wife.’”
“What?”
Both Park and In Young turned to her in astonishment—they hadn’t expected that at all.
“In Seok! Opportunities like this don’t come often—why not ask for a luxury car like the others?”
Even as Park scolded her incredulously, Green didn’t change her request.
“Well, since you majored in photography, I’ll buy you the most expensive camera on the market.”
“…Thank you.”
Though she said the words, Green’s face fell. Of course she wasn’t happy—she’d wanted something else entirely.
Perceptive as always, Park Chan Wook didn’t miss it.
“Hmm. So you truly want me to call you my granddaughter-in-law?”
“Yes—it’s my dearest wish!”
“What an oddly modest wish. In Young, I think I’ve found a rather unusual granddaughter-in-law.”
“It certainly seems that way, Father.”
Hearing them refer to her as “granddaughter-in-law,” Green’s cheeks flushed with joy.
“Thank you, Grandfather. Happy birthday once again—I hope you stay healthy for many years.”
“Alright. When Sunwoo arrives, come see me together.”
“Yes, I will.”
Since relatives were lining up to offer birthday greetings to Park Chan Wook, Green decided it was time to excuse herself.
She quickly checked In Young’s expression—and thankfully, there was no look of reproach.
Greatly relieved, Green quietly slipped toward the table laden with delicious food.
Jin Young Cheol was nowhere in sight, and she’d successfully delivered her gift—her goals for coming here today were fully accomplished.
Now all she needed to do was enjoy some food and quietly disappear from a corner.
Just as she happily picked up a canapé, a sharp, mocking voice stabbed her from behind like a dagger.
“Looks like you’ve got more charm than I thought—‘Call me your granddaughter-in-law,’ huh!”
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[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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