Every word Do Jun spoke was astonishing.
Tae Yeon touched her cheek with one hand.
Whether it was due to a cold or the heat from Do Jun’s sudden confession, her face felt incredibly hot.
She was confused, yet strangely happy.
Seeing Tae Yeon speechless, Do Jun leaned in closer to meet her gaze.
“If you have more questions, feel free to ask.”
“I’m just… really taken aback.”
Tae Yeon seemed completely dazed. Surprisingly, even this bewildered state of hers was endearing.
‘I must be really smitten. With this woman.’
Do Jun stood up, putting his hands in his trouser pockets.
“Is it so shocking that a husband likes his wife?”
I too had been surprised upon realizing my feelings, but pretended otherwise.
“Of course, but we aren’t a typical couple.”
“What’s different?”
“The arrangement…”
“Just because the beginning was different doesn’t mean the end has to be the same as others.”
Tae Yeon slowly lifted her head, looking straight into Do Jun’s unwavering eyes.
“Does it upset you?”
“No, of course not.”
“Does it make you uncomfortable?”
“…….”
After hesitating for a moment, Tae Yeon shook her head.
Seeing this, the corners of Do Jun’s mouth turned up in a smile.
“That settles it then.”
“What’s settled?”
“Now that Assistant Manager Jin Tae Teon knows how I feel, I won’t hide it anymore.”
Tae Yeon’s mouth fell open again.
“From now on, I’ll openly show and express my feelings.”
“What?”
“You don’t expect me to just forget about my feelings now that I’ve told you, do you?”
Do Jun gently stroked Tae Yeon’s hair and whispered tenderly.
“You can look forward to it.”
It was a declaration of intent.
After parting with Tae Yeon and returning to his office, Do Jun downed the cold water Secretary Choi had brought.
“Is something the matter?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Secretary Choi placed the comprehensive cold medicine he had bought at the pharmacy on Do Jun’s desk.
“If Madam’s cold symptoms are severe, wouldn’t it be better to go to the hospital?”
“That’s a good idea. Schedule an appointment for this evening at Dr. Kim’s house.”
“Understood.”
Do Jun’s gaze lingered on the cold medicine. Secretary Choi cautiously suggested,
“It might be better for you to give her the medicine personally.”
“I think so.”
“It will show her that you care.”
Do Jun nodded at Secretary Choi’s advice.
“And here is the file you asked me to investigate.”
Secretary Choi handed over a folder.
It contained information on Cha Shin Dairy since its founding.
As Do Jun read through it, he raised his eyebrows, discovering something unknown.
“The founder of Cha Shin Dairy wasn’t President Jin?”
“That’s right. President Jin had an elder brother.”
Secretary Choi handed him a photo of a pleasant-looking couple.
“Mr. Jin Tae Pyeong was the founder. President Jin was handling the financial side back then.”
The fact that President Jin wasn’t the founder of Cha Shin Dairy was surprising.
“Was there a fight over the management rights between the brothers?”
He expected a typical chaebol power struggle.
But Secretary Choi’s next words were unexpected.
“No, Mr. Jin Tae Pyeong died young.”
“Really? Was he ill?”
“From what we found, there was a major fire at his home, and he couldn’t escape in time.”
A brief newspaper article covered the death of Cha Shin Dairy’s founder.
“That’s odd.”
Typically, the death of a founder of a significant company would be extensively covered by the media.
But it was only reported in an obscure daily newspaper.
“I also found that part strange during my investigation.”
“There’s more to it than meets the eye.”
This confirmed part of what Hye Sook had said.
This confirmed that part of what Hye Sook had said was true.
After all, President Jin didn’t establish Cha Shin Dairy but had taken it over, whether willingly or not, and nurtured it.
“Why do I feel like there are more unknown facts beyond this?”
“I will investigate further in detail.”
“Especially focus on President Jin.”
“Yes, Department Head.”
In Do Jun’s mind, the image of Hye Sook attempting to brutally assault Tae Yeon still lingered.
‘Could she really hate her own daughter that much?’
He was extremely curious about the reason behind her relentless persecution and torment of Tae Yeon over something that wasn’t even Tae Yeon’s fault.
What snapped Do Jun back to reality from his thoughts was the persistent ringing of his phone.
“It can’t be a gentleman.”
It was a call from President Jin.
“Department Head, shall I take the call for you?”
“No need.”
Do Jun pressed the call button without hesitation.
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.”
