“I asked when they would transfer it to the prosecutor, how much punishment she might receive, things like that.”
“Yeah, I see.”
“Seo-jun, you’ve been through a lot. Go in quickly today. Your face looks pale. You’ve been at the hospital until late on Sunday and came straight here from work today.”
“Yes. I’ll go in soon.”
While I was in the hospital, I lost weight and became sharper. According to a message from Researcher Lee Kyung-hoon, the project is entering its final stages, and the workload is quite substantial.
“I have to work at home.”
“Yeah. I can finish it quickly.”
“Lies.”
“Now that you’ve shaved my head, are you telling me to leave because I’m not needed anymore?”
“I see. Since there’s nothing to do here now, go home quickly. I have to go to the provinces tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Listen to Da-yul. Go home and rest well. Okay?”
My mom handed Ji Seo-jun his bag and pulled his arm.
“Lady, I’ll stay a little longer.”
“Don’t go anywhere. I’ll hold onto them tightly here, so don’t worry and go quickly.”
After making a worried expression at Mom’s words, Ji Seo-jun sighed deeply and came over to me.
“Then, I’ll come the day after tomorrow. I’ll call frequently, so keep your phone with you.”
“Yeah, don’t worry. Team Leader will come tomorrow, and Juyeon and I decided to come too.”
Having broken the previous phone in an accident, I showed Ji Seo-jun the newly acquired phone.
“I’m going.”
Exiting the small hospital room, Ji Seo-jun turned around several times. Regret dripped away like tears.
“Who does he resemble? Does my dad look like that?”
“Mr. Seungho is a bit rough.”
“Yeah. He’s gruff only to you. He seems taciturn to Yoonhee in a subtle way, but who does he resemble?”
Mom, while tidying up the guardian bed, pondered for a long time about whom Ji Seo-jun resembled.
“Is it uncomfortable there?”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry, Mom. Should I turn off the light?”
“Yeah.”
With a click, the light in the hospital room went out. Relying on the light coming in through the window, Mom slowly lay down on the guardian bed.
“Oh, my, oh my, I’m dying.”
“If you keep complaining like that… Mom, go home tomorrow. I can be alone now.”
“You’re also getting old. Just moving a little makes a creaking sound. It’s just a fuss, a fuss.”
“What’s the fuss…”
“Grow up. Sleep a lot and eat well to recover quickly. Your bones need to heal quickly.”
I looked down at the arm in a cast with a golden signature.
“Mom, isn’t a single room expensive? Just book a six-person room.”
“Even though Mom mentioned it several times, Mr. Ji insisted. Men like you should stay still in a single room.”
It was Ji Seo-jun and Mr. Seungho who insisted on using a single room, not caring about the hospital expenses. It wasn’t a regular accident, and someone was pushed into the accident, so they strongly argued for using a single room instead of a crowded multi-person room.
“But Mom, too. The police will be busy, but a single room is better than a six-person room. Don’t worry and think about your health.”
Mom, feeling uncomfortable, tossed and turned in bed.
“Mom.”
“Why.”
“I’ve always thought I’ve lived my life without causing harm to others, you know?”
“…”
“But now, for reasons I never thought of, I’m hated by others, and the impact is bigger than I thought.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Is it?”
Mom suddenly got up from her seat.
“The police said that! They said they were jealous of you. That crazy woman said that. You’ve lived such a wonderful life that even such a crazy woman envied you.”
“Mom…”
“So, don’t think like that and go to sleep quickly.”
“…Okay.”
“Answer louder!”
“Okay!”
After hearing my response, Mom lay back down. And a little later, the sound of her snoring lightly echoed.
“Anyway, she said she’ll sleep as soon as she touches the back of her head…”
It was the first time since the accident. I genuinely laughed. Mom’s snoring, which I usually didn’t like and even plugged my ears to avoid, sounded like a lullaby today.
I fell asleep with a noisy lullaby.
⭐️⭐️
“Ah, it feels like home.”
As soon as I saw the bed with only my cherished doll sitting alone, I lay down right away.
“You can handle the unpacking. Don’t wait for Seo-jun to tell you.”
“How am I supposed to do it with this arm?”
I lay on the bed, shaking my casted arm.
“I can do it.”
After spending two weeks in the hospital, I had a lot of luggage. Seo-jun, carrying bags full in both hands, entered the room, placing my bags on one side.
“There are underwear and stuff… Is Mundayul awake?”
I struggled to sit up and faced my luggage.
“Is she our real mom?”
“Who said that?”
“Just in case you misunderstand.”
I continued to list the similarities between our mom and me to Seo-jun while organizing the luggage brought from the hospital.
“Duyul, you have a call!”
Mom, who was in the living room, shouted. The ringtone echoed from the phone left in the bag outside. I grumbled and got up, heading to the living room. I took the phone out of the bag.
“Why are you just standing there without answering the phone?”
“It’s a call I don’t need to take.”
I turned it to silent and went back into the room.
“Who was it?”
“Yeah. Just an unknown call, so I didn’t answer.”
“Really?”
Seo-jun and I continued organizing.
“I stayed at the hospital. Clothes from summer to winter, there are a lot.”
“It’s hot during the day and cold at night. Who said that?”
“Right. I said that.”
I sighed and divided the clothes to be laundered and the ones to be organized. Seo-jun looked at my phone.
“You keep getting calls?”
“…”
“Is it that woman?”
“Yeah. Ms. Baek In-ha.”
“Should I answer?”
Seo-jun took my phone.
“No. I’ll… I’ll answer it.”
I snatched the phone back from Seo-jun.
“Hello?”
… Manager Moon.
“Yes. What’s up?”
About the body…
“Did you call to ask about my well-being? Why? Did I get discharged too early?”
No, it’s not that… I’m in front of Manager Moon’s house now. Could you meet me just once? There’s something I really, really want to say…
“No. I don’t want to meet Ms. Baek In-ha. I’ll hang up now.”
I’ll, I’ll wait for Manager Moon. I’ll wait until you come out.
I simply hung up the phone.
“Why? Did she want to meet you?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t meet her.”
“I won’t.”
I continued to organize, concealing my complicated feelings. Seo-jun neatly folded the clothes I had crumpled in one hand and stacked them in the wardrobe.
“Let’s all come out and eat!”
Has it already been that long? When I went to the living room at Mom’s call, there was an abundant spread of food, enough to fill the dining table.
“When did you prepare all this?”
“I did it with Yoonhee.”
“Duyul, eat a lot.”
“Yes! I’ll enjoy it.”
I tasted Mom’s carefully made soup. In no time, my plate was filled with side dishes.
“How do I eat all of this?”
“Why can’t you eat it? You used to eat well.”
At that moment, the weather forecast was being broadcast on the TV, which had been left on.
Early winter, extreme cold has arrived. The temperature is gradually dropping, and after the sun sets, the wind chill is expected to reach minus 15 degrees Celsius…
“These days, it feels like we’ll die from the heat in summer and freeze to death in winter.”
“Hoho. Duyul’s mom, we need to live long.”
The moms continued their lively conversation about the weather with laughter.
“I’ll be back after a short outing.”
I abruptly got up from my seat without finishing my meal.
“Where are you going?”
“Just, outside for a moment… I’ll be back soon.”
Although I heard Seo-jun following me, urging me to stop, I couldn’t halt. Hastily, I crumpled on my sneakers and went out the front door.
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
