“No.”
This kid. Trying to cause resentment towards his father.
“Baby, first call and let them know you’re here.”
Using the mobile phone Hyo Jin handed over, Seung Yul called his father.
“He’s not answering?”
“He’s not picking up? Why wouldn’t he?”
Confirming the ARS voice that went directly to voicemail without ringing, Hyo Jin let out a sigh of disbelief.
Did he block my number?
Ha, he tells me to behave professionally.
Was he worried I would call and tempt him?
What if something happened to Seung Yul?
“Baby, you must never say that you ate this here.”
Hyo Jin wiped off the ramen soup on the corner of her mouth with a tissue, removing any evidence.
“Get up. Let’s brush your teeth.”
She took him to the bathroom, draped a towel around his neck, and carefully brushed each tooth as if polishing it with a new toothbrush, checking if there was any ramen soup left between his teeth.
“Now, rinse your mouth.”
Seung Yul rinsed his mouth with the cup Hyo Jin handed him, fully cooperating with the perfect crime.
“Are we done?”
Bright teeth, sparkling in the sunshine like dew, and shining eyes. Seeing Baby, who unlike his father, didn’t reject her touch, Hyo Jin felt a love so profound that it hurt her heart.
“I wish Baby would grow up slowly.”
Hyo Jin smiled as she gently caressed his soft, squishy cheeks.
“Why? I want to grow up quickly.”
“But if you grow up quickly, you’ll have to part with me.”
Hyo Jin, pushing his hair back from his forehead, felt a sting at the tip of her nose just thinking about it.
“Why? You can go to England with me.”
“Wouldn’t Aunt Hanna dislike that? She’s married now, she should get along with her new mom.”
Seung Yul crossed his arms and huffed.
“Really, I don’t understand why dad wants to marry Aunt Hanna. He doesn’t even like her.”
“He might like her, just not expressing it as you say.”
“No, he doesn’t. He clearly said that the only person he will love until he dies is mom.”
“But dad has a right to be happy too, doesn’t he?”
“Love doesn’t exist to make us happy. It exists to show how much hardship and patience we can endure.”
“Huh. Who says that?”
“Herman Hesse.”
Ha, I thought it was something a friendly neighbor said.
“What kind of man do you want to marry?”
“Hmm, I want a mature man.”
“Why?”
“I’ve always felt burdened being the eldest sister taking care of my younger siblings. So, I’d like a solid man I can lean on.”
“And?”
“A man who is handsome, tall, fit, intelligent, capable, thoughtful, and responsible.”
“Wow, does such a man exist?”
“Why not?”
Hyo Jin opened her eyes wide and cupped Baby’s pink cheeks with both hands.
“He’s right here!”
Kyah. Seung Yul screamed with ticklish delight.
Knock knock.
Oh, who is that?
“Teacher. Is Yul here by any chance?”
At Gyo Hwan’s voice from outside the door, Baby, who had hidden under the table, put a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture.
Hey, what if you hide there?
As soon as the door opened, Gyo Hwan barged in like a raid.
“Yul, where is this kid?”
How long had he been looking for him?
The breath that had been indifferent when talking about bumping lips with a woman became rough.
“Yul? I didn’t see him.”
Hyo Jin’s eyes, playing innocent, silently widened when they spotted Baby’s slippers left at the door.
Oh no. He saw that.
“You’re quite good at lying, aren’t you? We agreed not to hide anything.”
“No, Seung Yul said he didn’t understand something while studying.”
Ignoring Hyo Jin’s excuses, he casually walked past her and stood in front of the table.
“Choi Seung Yul. Come out.”
In a wriggle, Baby crawled out from under the table.
“What are you doing disappearing without a word? I thought you were gone, I was startled. It’s the same for the teacher. At this hour, if a child comes looking, you should send him back. But I heard laughter from the garden.”
I almost reported him to the police like last time.
“I called because the teacher told me to call dad?”
When Hyo Jin was in trouble, Seung Yul opened his eyes wide and spoke.
“But it went straight to voicemail??”
Behind the speechless Gyo Hwan, the housekeeper exclaimed.
“My goodness, young master!”
Being here at this time. Relief and why on earth he was here mixed in the housekeeper’s rolling eyes.
“Housekeeper Pyo?”
At Gyo Hwan’s deep voice fixated on Hyo Jin, the quickwitted housekeeper urged Seung Yul.
“Young master, let’s go.”
“Just a moment.”
Seung Yul, who was being led out, turned back and tightly hugged Hyo Jin’s two legs and looked up at her.
“Teacher. I really had fun today. Can I come and play again next time?”
Hyo Jin found the child, who was wrapping around her warmly, much more lovable than his taciturn father.
“Of course, why not.”
Naturally? By whose decision?
Facing the sharp gaze of Gyo Hwan, Hyo Jin added,
“Hmm. Of course, if dad allows it.”
Expecting him to leave with Housekeeper Pyo, he returned and bore into her with his sharp gaze like a weapon.
“Did you feed him ramen?”
“What?”
So, he came back for that. I thought he had returned because he had something left to say.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
