Yerin swallowed hard.
She also silently gulped down the fact that she was the woman in question.
“I remember being so mesmerized by the beauty of her crying face. I just couldn’t take my eyes off her.”
Lost in the memory of that woman, Ihyeon then looked apologetic.
“I was thoughtless. It’s rude to talk about another woman in front of a lover, so I’ve heard.”
“What?”
“I’ve learned something new again.”
Ihyeon had already reached this conclusion by himself.
“I’ll try to refrain from comparing Secretary Han with that woman in the future.”
“It’s okay.”
She didn’t mind at all. After all, she was that woman.
And honestly, she wanted to hear more about that night.
She was curious about what Ihyeon had felt then.
Ihyeon raised his eyebrows slightly, surprised.
“You don’t mind?”
“Well, if we were real lovers, it would certainly be an upsetting situation.”
Speaking without making eye contact, Yerin continued.
“But we’re not real lovers. And the more you tell me about that woman, the easier it will be for me to find her.”
“Is that so?”
Ihyeon was silent for a moment.
‘Maybe that excuse was too awkward?’
Indeed, who would be happy hearing their date talk about another woman?
Maybe she was overstepping her bounds.
‘Maybe he’ll realize I’m that woman because of what I just said.’
But she couldn’t ask, and couldn’t boldly stay put, feeling extremely tense.
Ihyeon smiled as if he found her words reasonable.
“Your explanation makes sense.”
“Really?”
Nodding as if satisfied, Ihyeon said,
“I’ll mention to you if I find similarities between Secretary Han and that woman.”
“Thank you.”
“No need to thank me.”
Ihyeon slowly started the car again.
There was silence in the car until Yerin cautiously broke it.
“Director, I’ve been curious about something.”
“What is it?”
“When we met with CEO Cheto, you said you suffered financial losses because of that missing woman, right?”
Yerin clenched her bag tightly as she asked.
“Yes, I did.”
“Could I know what kind of damage it was?”
Swallowing hard, Yerin feared she might have unwittingly caused him harm.
Ihyeon slowly opened his mouth.
“It was a tremendous loss.”
“When?”
Yerin almost blurted out ‘When did I do that?’ but thankfully omitted the ‘I’ from her question.
“What I mean is, when did you suffer such loss?”
“Ever since I spent that night with her, I haven’t been able to sleep well.”
“Oh.”
“I keep seeing her image every time I close my eyes.”
He chuckled softly, as if finding his own words amusing.
“The same when I’m awake too.”
Summarizing Ihyeon’s words, he was essentially saying he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Yerin couldn’t figure out what about her had so captivated him.
Finally, unable to contain her curiosity, she asked.
This was ostensibly to gather more information about the woman.
“What image comes to mind?”
Chuckle.
Driving, Ihyeon glanced over, causing their gazes to meet momentarily.
Yerin quickly turned her head, her cheeks flushing.
‘Why am I like this, really?’
She touched her cheeks, trying to appear nonchalant while smiling.
Ihyeon, instead of answering her question, posed his own.
“It might be a bit too explicit for Secretary Han. Are you sure you want to hear it?”
“Sure.”
She answered before her brain could process, wondering why her mouth acted so independently.
“Every single thing that happened on that bed.”
“….”
“Is stored in my mind, not a detail forgotten.”
“Ah, okay.”
Yerin’s lips had gone dry, and without realizing it, she moistened her lower lip with her tongue, unaware that Ihyeon’s gaze lingered there a bit longer.
“It must have been a very memorable night.”
“For Secretary Han.”
“Yes?”
“I was just wondering what it would have been like if it were Secretary Han.”
“Ah, me having a one-night stand…”
Ihyeon looked expectantly for Yerin to continue.
“I’ve never done it.”
“Is that so.”
How could she possibly confess to her boss that she had indulged in a one-night stand? So, once again today, she found herself lying.
“I’m not the type to enjoy or frequently engage in one-night stands.”
“I see.”
“Really.”
“I believe you.”
Yerin smiled, her eyes sparkling.
“That woman was my first.”
“That must be why she’s so memorable.”
“Perhaps so.”
Ihyeon drummed the steering wheel with his index finger.
“Anyway, that’s why I can’t sleep at night, thinking about that woman. During the day, I can’t focus on work because of her.”
“Is that so?”
“All the work that needs to be done is getting pushed back, causing quite a loss.”
“….”
“I mean, that’s why I suffered a significant financial loss.”
Yerin felt like crying.
It wasn’t her intention, but Ihyeon attributed everything to that woman.
“It’s unfortunate.”
That was all she could say.
Ihyeon’s lips twitched slightly.
“So, Secretary Han needs to find that woman quickly.”
“Yes….”
Yerin replied in a barely audible voice.
“If this continues, Ji-Seok Electronics might even shut down.”
Losing her job would be inevitable, but she couldn’t do anything about it.
It seemed that woman could never be found.
No, she should never be found.
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.”
