“Looking at that, elder brother, you’re really smart. Seeing how you’ve already abandoned uncle and Elder Brother Tae Jin and clung to our father.”
Tae Hyun chewed his lips, turning red and blue. Si Heon downed the whiskey in his glass in one gulp.
“If you’ve said all you have to say, you can go, elder brother. It doesn’t seem like you have anything else to say.”
Si Heon continued speaking, feeling the sharp whiskey aroma he had swallowed in his mouth through his nose.
“You bastard, just wait and see. We’ll see how long you can keep smirking and laughing like that.”
Tae Hyun gulped down the whiskey in his hand and gritted his teeth.
“Go ahead.”
Tae Hyun roughly placed his glass on the table, then abruptly stood up and headed to his seat.
Jang Woo picked up his glass again and muttered.
“I don’t know why Elder Brother Tae Hyun always provokes without even getting his money’s worth.”
“It must be an inferiority complex. He grew up constantly being compared to Cha Si Heon since childhood.”
Jang Woo nodded at Ji Wook’s words.
“By the way, Choi Ji Wook. Let’s have a meal with my girlfriend sometime soon.”
At the casual mention of “girlfriend” from Si Heon’s mouth, Jang Woo, who was drinking whiskey, coughed and sputtered.
“W-who?”
Ji Wook asked back, scrunching his eyes strangely.
“Do I have any girlfriend other than Jin So Yi?”
“Why the meal?”
“She says she’s your fan.”
Ji Wook nodded, still looking bewildered.
“Take a picture together when you meet later.”
“Why a picture?”
Ji Wook asked while pouring whiskey into an on-the-rocks glass again.
“Because she’s a fan.”
Si Heon just flashed a grin.
[This is the timeline separator]Returning to his room, Si Heon took a shower and then grabbed a bottle of water before heading to the window.
The image of So Yi standing by the elevator window, admiring the night view, flashed before his eyes like a picture. What was there to be so entranced about?
Si Heon inadvertently let out a chuckle at the sight of her losing herself in the mere common night view of Seoul.
None of the women Si Heon had dated until now had ever shown interest in night views or scenery.
How much shares he owned, how much land he had, how many buildings he owned and where.
They were all desperate to somehow dig into Si Heon’s wealth.
Perhaps that’s why it felt a bit fresh.
Si Heon quickly made a reservation at Ashler by phone, then carefully examined So Yi’s profile.
Dark eyes that rippled finely along the twinkling lights and snow-white skin. A slightly protruding forehead, a high, straight nose bridge. Below that, small and plump lips.
The thought that her delicate features on a face as small as a fist looked like a doll’s briefly crossed his mind.
In any case, thanks to that, dinner naturally followed, and it seemed she had no intention of backing down anymore.
Because of that, he thought she would hold out until tomorrow, but she called right away. Saying she would accept the proposal. He quite liked that she didn’t rush into the fake dating proposal as if it were something real.
After finishing the remaining water, Si Heon entered the bedroom with a pleased expression.
[This is the timeline separator]“Did you go to Ashler yesterday?”
Jang Woo, who came early in the morning to pick up Si Heon, asked while turning around.
“How did you know?”
When Si Heon asked, Jang Woo took advantage of being stopped at a red light to hand over a tablet with a news article clipped.
Si Heon, who was reviewing the H Telecom system structure report in the back seat, received the tablet and chuckled.
“It came up on my way to pick you up. The PR team says they’ll request deletion right away.”
With the headline “The latest on Cha Si Heon, still silent on official apology,” there was a huge photo of the back view of him and So Yi entering Ashler.
“What did mother say?”
When they met at the hotel yesterday, Yu Kyung’s reaction was quite interesting. Although it didn’t seem like she would take any immediate action yet, she at least seemed to have realized the seriousness of the situation.
“She said to take down the article immediately. And there was a call from the Vice President.”
“What did she say?”
“To keep some time open this morning.”
Keep time open? Was she planning to come herself?
Si Heon shook his head, wondering why she was getting so worked up about her brother’s love life.
As Si Heon adjusted his posture to look at the documents again, Jang Woo glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
“She said she has something to say and will stop by briefly.”
Worried that Si Heon might say he was busy, Jang Woo watched his reaction, but Si Heon gave no answer.
“Tell her to come after nine. I have a brief appointment before then.”
“What? With whom?”
Jang Woo’s eyes widened, wondering who on earth he was meeting, since he should know about any appointments at the office.
Si Heon answered with an expressionless face while turning a page of the document.
“My girlfriend.”
[This is the timeline separator]“Sit here.”
As So Yi entered Si Heon’s office, Si Heon, already seated on the sofa, smiled brightly.
“This is a list of things we should observe while we’re dating. Read it over and let me know if there’s anything you want to add.”
So Yi nodded and took the contract.
The contents of the contract were simple.
Be careful with words and actions and avoid scandals.
Allow light skinship in front of people.
After roughly checking the contents, So Yi finished signing.
“There’s something I’d like to add to the contract terms.”
So Yi carefully put down the pen.
“Go ahead.”
“I’d prefer if there was no… unnecessary skinship.”
She wanted to draw the line in advance. Not a line because of Si Heon, but a line for herself.
In case she might come to expect something.
The thought of how much more she might fall if she crossed the line, whether caught up in the mood or by mistake, was dizzying even to imagine.
“Alright. I want a clean ending too. I’ll add the additional clause separately and we’ll sign again.”
Si Heon chuckled and handed over another piece of paper.
“And this is a confidentiality agreement.”
“What secret?”
“Literally. An agreement not to disclose any personal information related to me, including our current relationship, to anyone.”
So Yi promptly signed the document, thinking that the contents of this contract should not be leaked to anyone either.
“From now on, you’ll need to be a bit more tense. Actually, this contract is really important to me.”
“Are you trying to hold onto your ex-girlfriend by making it look like you’re dating me?”
Is the ex-girlfriend the daughter of some huge corporation?
As So Yi blinked curiously, Si Heon brushed it off vaguely.
“Well… Let’s leave it at that. Anyway, let’s be careful not to harm each other. Refrain from contacting other people of the opposite sex for a month.”
So Yi nodded slightly, looking at Si Heon’s somewhat serious expression.
After So Yi left, Si Heon approached and sat in his seat.
He had already finished the morning business briefing.
There were no meetings scheduled for this morning, so he launched the program to process pending approvals.
While reviewing the approval documents that had come up the day before, there was a knock on the door.
“Yes.”
Before the short answer was even finished, the door burst open. Si Heon slowly turned his head, taking his eyes off the monitor.
“CEO. The Vice President is here.”
Behind Jang Woo, who was standing there sweating profusely, Si Heon’s elder sister, Si Yeon, was entering.
“Cha Si Heon!”
Si Yeon’s sharp voice filled the CEO’s office.
“You’ve come, Vice President.”
Si Heon greeted her indifferently, without even turning his head.
Click, click, taking harsh steps, Si Yeon approached Si Heon’s desk and glared at him fiercely.
“What are you really doing? Let’s talk, elder sister.”
“Ah, so you’ve come as my elder sister, not as the Vice President.”
“Jin So Yi. Age twenty-seven. H Telecom Customer Center Operations Support Team, Compensation Support Team Manager.”
Despite Si Yeon’s sharp, cutting voice, Si Heon showed no reaction.
“Did you deliberately target someone from our company?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why specifically someone who works at our company? A company CEO dating an ordinary employee. Do you think this makes sense?”
“What’s wrong with that? There’s no rule prohibiting office romance here, as far as I know.”
Finally, Si Heon slowly leaned back in his chair and turned to Si Yeon.
Si Yeon, with her long, voluminous wavy hair cascading down and wearing a tight tweed dress, was looking down at him with an exasperated expression.
“You know very well that’s not what I’m talking about right now.”
Si Yeon said, lifting her hands from her waist to cross her arms. Si Heon just curled up the corners of his mouth without answering.
“Clean this up quickly before it gets bigger.”
“Why?”
“You, are you really asking because you don’t know?”
Si Heon let out a laugh and tilted his head.
“I just want to try dating like everyone else does. Why is everyone making such a fuss?”
“Because we know you’re not really trying to date! You’re just doing this to rebel against mom.”
Si Yeon raised her voice with an expression of utter frustration.
__________
My Clingy Little Husband (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
Introduction:
One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.
One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.
As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.
From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.
But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.
Mini scene 1:
One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.
Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”
Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”
Mini scene 2:
After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.
Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”
Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.
[Reading Guide]
1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.