Four people, two young women and two men, were seated at a table, with Jinwon, Sajun’s chief secretary, sitting in the head seat.
Slim Park Seoryeon extended some documents to Jinwon.
“These are the combined submissions from the four of us, summarized into five pages for brevity.”
Jinwon examined each page seriously, his face showing no trace of playfulness.
He checked his wristwatch and then said.
“The stipulated 50% advance payment should have been deposited into your accounts by now.”
At his words, everyone checked their phones for the deposit confirmation as if on cue.
“Today, Ms. Park Seoryeon, please create a group chat and invite my boss. This chat will operate 24/7, so respond immediately if my boss messages. He’s quite impatient and hates verbosity, so keep your messages brief and to the point. Any questions?”
After exchanging glances, team leader Park Seoryeon cautiously raised her hand.
“The data we’ve received is too limited. It’s hard to understand his real personality with that. Can you share his messages or conversation details with the woman?”
“We refuse. That would invade our boss’s privacy.”
Jinwon refused flatly, his cold gaze sweeping over the four men and women in front of him.
The two men, despite their ordinary looks, were womanizers skilled in smooth talking, and the women were a columnist and a psychiatrist who wrote about relationships.
Especially, team leader Park Seoryeon, a young and beautiful psychiatrist and psychology Ph.D., had been gaining fame by appearing on TV for her expertise.
Her fee was considerably higher than the other three, but Sajun had instructed Jinwon not to worry about the cost.
“So, I’ve hired experts like you at a high price, even with limited information. Was my judgement wrong?”
Jinwon wondered why he was going through all this trouble, but then remembering Sajun, he understood.
Wondering why he was spending money so carelessly, Jinwon thought of Sajun and understood.
Who confesses right away when asked for a romantic relationship, and that too, without missing a single beat? I wouldn’t believe it either.
Sajun might have been romance-less, but Mintaehee was just the same.
She treated Kang Sajun, who usually had women flocking to him, like a rock by the roadside for 13 years.
Not only that, she took care of him like a child and acted like an older sister. No wonder Kang Sajun was anxious.
“If you’re not confident, we can hire others even now.”
“No! I will work my hardest, even if it burns me out.”
When one of the men responded robustly, the other three also agreed.
Jinwon nodded briefly, as if he had expected this, and then calmly spoke again.
“Those who show remarkable results during the project will receive an individual bonus, and upon mission completion, an additional 100% of the initial contract fee will be paid on top of the remaining 50%. Of course, if the mission fails, there will be no remaining payment, and the contract will be canceled if it’s ineffective. The advance payment already deposited can be considered a compensation fee. Any objections?”
All four shook their heads, their expressions serious now. The 50% advance they had already received was a significant sum.
Jinwon headed to the indoor swimming pool exclusive to VVIP members.
A staff member at the front desk recognized Jinwon and bowed in greeting.
In the vast swimming pool, large pillars supported the structure, and sunlight from the glass ceiling poured down like a torrent.
In the middle of the sparkling pool, the water surged. Kang Sajun, with his bare upper body, surfaced and submerged repeatedly, swimming back and forth without pause.
After some time, Sajun reached the end of the pool and slowly emerged, prompting Jinwon to let out a soft exclamation.
Even to another man, Kang Sajun, with his bare torso, looked like a finely sculpted statue.
His face, dripping with water, was beautiful, while his body, tense from swimming, was like a fierce beast.
It was even more astonishing that Mintaehee hadn’t seen Kang Sajun as a man for 13 years.
Jinwon quickly offered a towel to Sajun, who laid down on a sunbed without drying off.
“Here are the five pages.”
Sajun took the towel to dry his hands and glanced over the contents of the paper with an expressionless face.
In less than 20 seconds, he handed back the paper, which Jinwon took. Knowing Sajun’s memory worked like taking a picture, he had been with him for nine years.
“Think it might help?”
“We’ll see.”
Sajun answered nonchalantly.
His wet eyelashes dripped water, and his black eyes seemed lazy and damp.
Only when he was with Mintaehee did his eyes sparkle vividly. Jinwon shook his head slightly.
How could he have been so indifferent all this time while liking her so much?
Hearing the brief story, it wasn’t incomprehensible.
Mintaehee had said their relationship would end the moment she saw him as a man. What could even Kang Sajun do?
Feeling Sajun’s desperation, Jinwon cautiously suggested.
“Start by contacting her casually.”
Sajun raised his sleepy eyes as if asking what he meant.
“It’s written in the third clause of ‘Starting a New Relationship’. Try sending her a message, something light and unintrusive. I recommend that too.”
But Sajun just laughed.
“Why send a message? If I’m going to do that, I might as well call. And if I call, I should just go see her.”
“Think about it, man. Even doing something you haven’t done before can be overwhelming. Try calling her and see what happens. With Mintaehee’s temperament, she’ll probably light up with anger and be on guard.”
Sajun, with his eyes closed, waved his hand dismissively, clearly annoyed.
He was so stubborn. No wonder Mintaehee rejected him.
Muttering to himself, Jinwon left the pool area. Sajun slowly opened his eyes.
“A message, huh.”
He recalled Mintaehee’s voice from the phone call he had initiated a few days ago for the first time.
‘What’s up, why did you call?’
It wasn’t a welcoming voice but one filled with surprise and wariness.
Thinking of that voice, Sajun slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the blue sky above the glass ceiling.
It was Saturday, the sky was clear, and the weather was really nice.
Taehee was always busy on Saturdays, doing laundry, cleaning, organizing the fridge, and catching up on household chores.
But today, she was having a relatively relaxed Saturday.
Skipping her regular Friday night visits to Club Gio, she woke up early, lacking a reason to sleep in, and started her day early.
“I should go to the market.”
Was it because of the hectic week caused by Kang Sajun? Her fridge was in a dire state.
It was full of things to throw away and lacked anything to sustain her for the week.
With a small sigh, Taehee’s gaze shifted to her phone on the floor.
“Look at this, no contact again. How can I believe he likes me when he acts like this? He should at least put some effort into his lies.”
Kang Sajun, such an idiot.
While she was mentally scolding him, a message popped up on her phone.
Her eyes widened as she casually checked the screen.
[What are you doing?]…Crazy. It was Kang Sajun.
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
