Director Park nodded and stepped out of the office, while Autumn, puzzled about who could be visiting her at the gallery, left the office and headed to the lobby. She scanned around, trying to identify her visitor when someone tapped her shoulder from behind.
Turning around in surprise, she found him – the man she had met at the dinner party, the grandson of Chairman Shin, Yeon-woo Shin.
Dressed in a light sky-blue shirt, which made him appear more relaxed and approachable than in his formal suit, Yeon-woo’s eye-smile gave him an amiable, puppy-like demeanor.
‘But… what brings him here?’
Autumn had thought she wouldn’t see him again so soon, yet here he was, having sought her out first.
Caught off guard, Autumn just blinked at him in surprise.
Seeing her reaction, Yeon-woo chuckled softly and asked gently.
“Did I startle you?”
“Yes, a little. But why are you here…?”
“I didn’t have your phone number, and I heard you were associated with this gallery, so I thought I might find you here.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Who else would I come to see?”
Yeon-woo’s friendly demeanor, as uninhibited as their last meeting, soon had him scanning Autumn up and down before his lips curled into a wider smile.
‘What’s he looking at and smiling about?’
Following his gaze, Autumn turned her head and then realized something that made her go ‘oops’ in her mind.
Despite the hot weather, Autumn had reluctantly worn a coat which she briefly took off and then forgot to carry with her.
Suddenly overwhelmed by embarrassment, her face quickly turned the color of a peach.
She thought about the people she had encountered while coming to the lobby. Why hadn’t anyone mentioned her appearance to her?
Meanwhile, Yeon-woo, noticing the colorful paint stains, asked, “All these are paint, right? Did you come out while painting?”
“Yes, that’s right. I’ll just go get my coat. Just a moment!”
As Autumn turned to leave quickly, Yeon-woo grasped her wrist.
Surprised by the sudden grasp, Autumn looked at him, only to find him shaking his head and saying, “It’s okay. It’s colorful and cute, what’s there to worry about?”
“……Ah, okay.”
Whatever Yeon-woo said didn’t quite register with Autumn. She just wanted to leave the spot quickly.
While fidgeting with her captured wrist and looking around, Yeon-woo watched her quietly, then with a gentle smile in his eyes, he asked, “Shall we go somewhere without people?”
He then led Autumn out.
The place Yeon-woo led Autumn to was a café located a bit away from the gallery.
Thanks to the lack of customers, Autumn stopped trying to hide her paint-stained attire.
Unsure of what was amusing him, she cautiously moved back from the still smiling Yeon-woo.
Noticing her slight retreat but not commenting on it, Yeon-woo instead asked, “Autumn, what would you like to drink?”
“I’ll just have an Americano, please.”
“Okay. You sit here, I’ll go and get it myself.”
“Thank you, Yeon-woo…”
After Yeon-woo left the table to get the drinks, Autumn wondered how someone she had just met for the second time could behave so familiarly without any hesitation. She found it a bit surprising.
But that was all. It was more unsettling than pleasant.
Why would a man she had only met once by chance come all the way to the gallery?
Unlike Autumn’s puzzlement, Yeon-woo returned with a bright smile, handing her one of the Americanos. He then initiated conversation.
“I had something to tell you, so I came looking for you. Fortunately, I found you. Can I meet you again at the gallery next time?”
Autumn took the cup he offered but didn’t drink, replying, “No. I only go to the gallery when I have work to do, so it would be difficult to meet if you came.”
“So, I was lucky today then?”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
As the conversation flowed naturally, Autumn remained cautious of him. Then, Yeon-woo suddenly extended his phone towards her.
“Give me your number, so we won’t miss each other.”
“Me? Why should I…”
When Autumn didn’t take the phone, Yeon-woo placed it in her hand, urging her to be quick.
“…”
It felt odd to give her number to a man whose intentions she didn’t understand.
When Autumn openly showed her reluctance, Yeon-woo shrugged his shoulders and said, “Don’t you want to take back your father’s painting?”
“…What?”
“That painting, I think I know a way you can take it back. I came here to tell you that. I need your number to stay in contact, right?”
“Really?”
Autumn’s face instantly brightened.
Seeing her smiling so radiantly, despite her paint-stained tee, Yeon-woo briefly covered his mouth to hide a laugh.
Then, with a soft smile, he dangled the phone in front of her again.
“So, give me your number first.”
After exchanging numbers, Yeon-woo offered to drive Autumn back to the gallery, and she naturally got into his car.
Throughout the ride, Autumn’s thoughts were solely on her father’s painting.
‘How could he possibly give it back to me? Is he planning to persuade Chairman Shin…?’ she wondered.
She told Yeon-woo that time wasn’t an issue, even if it took a while, as long as she could eventually retrieve it. After longing for her father’s painting for nearly a decade, a bit more waiting seemed insignificant.
As they neared the gallery, Autumn unbuckled her seatbelt to get out.
To her surprise, Yeon-woo got out of the car as well.
“I could have gotten out alone.”
“I just want to say hi. I’m a busy person, you know.”
He insisted on getting out and waving her off.
His kindness and consideration made Autumn feel unnecessarily guilty for having been so guarded at the café.
‘I was so defensive towards someone who wants to help me get back the painting…’
“Take care.”
“Sure. See you next time, Autumn.”
He truly just said goodbye and got back into the driver’s seat.
Yeon-woo’s car soon drove off, and Autumn turned to retrieve her forgotten coat from the gallery.
But then…
“……Chairman?”
She saw him, just like she had been earlier, watching the departing car. When Autumn called out to him in surprise, he turned to her, tapping her head gently and asking,
“What’s this? Is he your boyfriend?”
“No!”
Autumn denied it vehemently, causing Ki-tae to chuckle.
“Just asking. Why the big reaction?” His curiosity piqued unusually. “So, who is he?”
“Just someone I met a few days ago when I went to see my father’s painting at Chairman Shin’s house. He’s Chairman Shin’s grandson.”
“Ah.”
Ki-tae uttered a sound as if remembering, then asked with a puzzled look,
“But you said there’s nothing between you two?”
“Yes! We just met.”
As she nodded emphatically, Ki-tae gazed distantly in the direction where Yeon-woo’s car had disappeared and muttered,
“Doesn’t seem like he thinks the same way…”
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
