Married First, a Couple (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15
Tae Yeon shared the same thought.
“Then let’s just pretend it never happened…”
“That’s not really possible. It’s such a great opportunity, after all.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t you think we should seize the chance when it comes our way?”
Do Jun stared at Tae Yeon with a resolute expression.
“This is purely for the sake of delivering a flawless performance.”
Having finished speaking, Do Jun placed his hand on Tae Yeon’s waist. Her eyes widened in surprise.
In stark contrast, Do Jun calmly smiled and fixed his gaze on the camera.
“We need to smile. Otherwise, people might think I’m bullying you.”
At his words, Tae Yeon awkwardly lifted the corners of her mouth.
Still, because Do Jun moved closer to her side, the awkward distance between the two in the photo visibly shrank.
After a few shots, even Tae Yeon began to relax. By the final photo, she had managed to put on a gentle smile.
Do Jun flipped through the photos he’d taken, then smiled as if satisfied.
“Let’s go with this one.”
“Okay.”
“Send it to me, and I’ll forward it to Chairman Cha.”
Even after sending the photo to Do Jun via message, Tae Yeon couldn’t take her eyes off it.
To any outsider, they looked like the perfect couple.
At least, on the surface.
After sending the photo to Chairman Cha, Do Jun took Tae Yeon’s phone again.
“Why are you doing that?”
“There’s still something left to do.”
With a serious look, Do Jun began operating Tae Yeon’s phone.
“I’m going to take a few solo shots of you, Ms. Jin Tae Yeon.”
“It’s fine…”
She had started to refuse, but then stopped—realizing this, too, might someday become a cherished memory.
Tae Yeon held up the cake and beamed.
Do Jun clicked the shutter repeatedly, and once seemingly satisfied with the outcome, handed the phone back to her.
“Thank you.”
Almost immediately after Do Jun confirmed the photos, a call came through—from Chairman Cha himself. Do Jun stepped away briefly to take the call.
Tae Yeon scrolled through the photos Do Jun had taken, and without realizing it, a smile formed on her face.
“Today really means a lot—thank you.”
Just remembering her birthday was touching enough; but ordering a cake and throwing a party on top of that?
Yet soon, bitterness crept in.
For Tae Jin, born on the same day, all this would have been ordinary—routine, even. But for herself, even this small joy had been hard to come by.
Since childhood, birthday cakes had always featured princess characters Tae Jin liked. President Jin and his wife would give Tae Jin expensive toys, while Tae Yeon received cheap gifts easily picked up at stationery stores.
There were even days when she woke up startled by the eerie silence—only to find her family had gone on a trip without her.
At first, the hurt stung in her youth, but over time, she grew numb to it. Not that it ever made her happy, of course.
Had it not been for this marriage, she might still be living that way. In that moment, she felt proud of her decision to get married.
At the very least, today, she didn’t have to spend it with Mrs. Kwak and Tae Jin.
Even while talking on the phone in the living room, Do Jun kept glancing at Tae Yeon.
Their eyes met midair.
Eyes laden with complex emotions—each fully reflected in the other’s face.
[This is the timeline separator]Chairman Cha, on the other end of the line, chuckled heartily as he spoke.
—Why didn’t you tell me earlier our daughter-in-law’s birthday was today?
“No need to make a fuss over it.”
—No, I can’t let this go. If there’s anything you need, just say the word.
“It’s alright. I’ve already taken care of her gift myself.”
—I should get our daughter-in-law a present too—it’s too cold of you otherwise.
Chairman Cha continued insisting over the phone, eager to give Tae Yeon something.
Eventually, exhausted, Do Jun threw in the towel—hands and feet included.
“If you really insist, just buy her something expensive.”
—Of course! It’s our daughter-in-law’s birthday, after all.
After pondering for a moment, Chairman Cha suddenly had an idea and exclaimed:
—I’ll gift her a handbag personally crafted by a famous French designer—only two were ever made!
“Do as you please.”
—Right, I’ll prepare it as a surprise.
After ending the call, Do Jun looked for Tae Yeon—but she wasn’t in the kitchen, having briefly stepped away.
Do Jun sat down on the sofa and began flipping through the photo they’d taken together, thinking the same thing Tae Yeon had.
To anyone unaware, they were unmistakably a married couple—though the reality underneath was rather different.
[This is the timeline separator]At that moment,
Tae Yeon was on the phone with her friend Min Hyun.
“Min Hyun, what brings you to call?”
—It’s your birthday! I was thinking we could have dinner together.
Hearing that, Tae Yeon belatedly remembered the dinner appointment she’d canceled days earlier—thanks to Do Jun.
“Today’s not really good—how about after work tomorrow?”
—Sounds great. I’ll swing by your office then.
She quickly hung up and turned to head back to the living room.
“Oh—goodness, you startled me!”
Do Jun was standing right in front of her room.
“How long have you been there?”
“Just now.”
“Did you need something?”
Do Jun’s dark eyes swept over Tae Yeon. Noticing her phone in her hand, he asked,
“Whose call was that?”
“A friend’s.”
“A friend?”
His eyebrows shot up—he’d clearly heard a man’s voice.
“The friend you saw outside my office before.”
“A man.”
“Huh? No—it’s just a friend.”
“So, a male friend, then?”
“Yes… I suppose.”
Something in Do Jun’s gaze chilled—as if he were trying to pierce right through her.
“Why do you ask?”
“Are you having dinner with that guy tomorrow?”
“Yes. I was actually about to tell you about it.”
“Huh.”
Tae Yeon looked completely baffled by his odd reaction.
“Why are you acting like this?”
“Ms. Jin Tae Yeon, seems you’ve completely forgotten our agreement—spending one hour together every day.”
“Oh…”
Tae Yeon bit her lip lightly. Then, as if remembering something, she grinned brightly.
“But we agreed to make up for missed time on weekends, didn’t we?”
Do Jun’s mouth dropped open. He tried to speak—but Tae Yeon was faster.
“Last time, I broke my promise with Min Hyun on the same day just to come home with you. Please understand this time.”
He stared at her, brows deeply furrowed.
“Ms. Jin Tae Yeon.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“If I were to have dinner with another woman, would you let me go—coolly and calmly?”
Tae Yeon blinked, eyes wide with confusion.
“I’m genuinely curious—how would you react if I said I’m having dinner with a female friend?”
“If you have plans with a friend, of course you should go.”
Hearing her reply, Do Jun crooked one side of his mouth upward.
“Really?”
“Yes—I mean, as you said yourself, she’s just a friend.”
“Huh.”
He raked a hand roughly through his bangs, clearly exasperated.
“You’re awfully cool about this, aren’t you?”
Tae Yeon still looked thoroughly confused.
“No—it’s not like that. I just think… if it’s a friend, of course I’d let them go.”
Do Jun crossed his arms and gave a slow nod.
“Fine. I now understand your perspective well enough.”
Somehow, the conversation ended on a strangely awkward note.
Tae Yeon stole a glance at him. Just as Do Jun was about to leave, he turned back and asked,
“Where are you meeting tomorrow?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“I’d appreciate it if you at least shared the location.”
“…”
“In case something urgent comes up for you—I might need to pick you up. That’s why.”
Uttering this utterly nonsensical excuse with full satisfaction, Do Jun walked off.
[This is the timeline separator]The next day,
Even at work, Do Jun couldn’t stop thinking about Tae Yeon’s dinner plans.
“What’s the big deal about a mere meal?”
He already knew she had a man in her life. So why did the thought of her meeting another man—even just one—put him in such a foul mood?
“Everything’s getting under my skin.”
At first, he didn’t understand why he felt so uneasy—but soon, he found the answer.
Secretary Choi knocked and hurried into Do Jun’s office.
“Right—it’s because of the photos.”
They still hadn’t uncovered the identity of the person tailing Tae Yeon.
Thus, her dinner with this so-called male friend would likely be captured in full—photographic evidence, ready to be delivered again.
And if Chairman Cha were to see yet another photo of Tae Yeon dining with another man…
The very idea made his vision spin.
Hearing Do Jun mutter to himself, Secretary Choi asked, puzzled,
“Section Chief?”
“Secretary Choi, are you free tonight?”
“Yes—do you have something for me to do?”
Do Jun lifted one corner of his mouth and snapped his fingers, as if struck by an idea.
“We might just catch the person blackmailing us—today.”
“What do you mean?”
If someone had been persistently shadowing Tae Yeon, snapping photos of her with other men, then surely they’d show up again—tonight—at the restaurant where she was headed.
“This might be easier than I expected.”
Secretary Choi watched silently as Do Jun laid out his plan, then spoke up.
“I’ve looked into what you previously instructed.”
“The pop-up store?”
“Yes—but the findings are a bit odd.”
Do Jun glanced at the date on the document Secretary Choi handed him, then checked the calendar on his desk.
“Isn’t this the day I arrived in Korea?”
“Correct—and also the day you left work with Madam.”
Do Jun tilted his head, equally puzzled.
Since arriving in Korea, he’d hardly left Tae Yeon’s side—even for a moment.
So the idea that she’d gone to a department store without his knowledge made no sense. Secretary Choi seemed just as confused.
“Um, Section Chief—I have something else to tell you.”
“Go on.”
“Perhaps… we should conduct a more thorough investigation on Madam—from our side.”
Before the marriage, Secretary Choi had proposed the same idea to Do Jun.
Even if it was a strategic marriage, wouldn’t it be wise to properly understand who Tae Yeon was?
But back then, Do Jun had flatly refused.
After all, he never planned to return to Korea for the duration of the marriage—it was only ever meant to be a marriage in name.
There was no need to know what kind of woman she was—or what her family was like.
To him, Tae Yeon was merely one among many business partners—and he didn’t run background checks on every one of those.
Precisely because it was a strategic alliance, he’d devoted far more effort to scrutinizing her family’s business operations than to trivial matters like how her relatives lived their daily lives.
Besides, Chairman Cha—meticulous as he was—had surely already vetted Tae Yeon’s family thoroughly; there was no need for Do Jun to duplicate the effort.
He could have investigated her anytime, had he wished—but since he’d assumed he’d never meet her again in his lifetime unless he returned to Korea, he saw no point in the trouble.
Now, the situation had changed drastically.
They were living under the same roof—and uncovering the blackmailer meant that investigating Tae Yeon was now essential.
Secretary Choi spoke firmly.
“I’ll conduct a discreet inquiry—without Madam’s knowledge.”
This time, Do Jun agreed.
“Go ahead. While you’re at it, find out properly who my father- and mother-in-law really are.”
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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