Yuin was deeply immersed in a long-awaited sweet slumber, unable to break free.
Wrapped in a white and fluffy goose-down blanket, what woke her from the cozy embrace was a serene voice gently resonating through her ears.
“Yuin, wake up.”
As if annoyed by the noise, Yuin’s straight eyebrows slightly furrowed and then relaxed.
The man found her reaction adorable, planting a kiss on her temple before freezing the motion.
“Jagiya, you should eat breakfast.”
“Mm…”
“Eat and then sleep more, okay?”
Gieon affectionately caressed Yuin’s back, nestled under the blanket, while softly chuckling.
The black T-shirt that Gieon had left last night was now draped over Yuin’s white body, and it seemed to please him greatly.
Lying behind his still-sleeping lover, Gieon, sticking close to her, whispered into her ear.
“I brought your favorite omelet and salad. Aren’t you going to wake up?”
“…Mm.”
“I woke up early to go get them for us to eat together, you know?”
“…”
“If Nam Yuin doesn’t wake up, I’ll go hungry too.”
Although neither of them had likely slept until dawn, his voice was refreshing, almost blindingly bright.
Why is that?
Eventually, Yuin, making a groaning sound, threw off the blanket and got up. Warm lips kissed her still drowsy eyes.
“Wash up and come out. Don’t go back to bed.”
“Yes.”
After Gieon patted her back, he left the room first. Yuin, who soon followed down from the bed, went to the bathroom for a quick wash and tooth brushing before heading to the kitchen.
On the dining table, filled with the savory and sweet scent, there were the fresh salad and the omelet with seaweed Gieon had mentioned.
“Is your body okay?”
“Um, yes. I think so.”
After preparing coffee as well, when Yuin replied to the man sitting across from her, he inexplicably smiled discreetly.
“I enjoyed it so much. How about you?”
In an instant, as if she had eaten something unpleasant, Yuin, frozen in motion, looked at Gieon.
“Judging by your expression, it wasn’t great. I’ll do better next time.”
“…Please. Can’t we avoid such conversations at the dining table?”
“Oh, really? Then I’ll ask again after we finish eating. Be sure to give an honest answer then.”
Shaking her head while looking at the cheerful man, Yuin had a premonition that the level of their banter might increase a notch.
Gieon, who was grinning, handed something to Yuin as she drank the cold coffee with a perplexed expression.
“Here, take this.”
As Yuin stared at the all-black card model as if it were an odd object and asked what it was, he answered nonchalantly.
“Our house key.”
“Oh…”
Seeing Yuin’s bewildered gaze as if she were looking at a strange object, Gieon, narrowing his eyes slightly, asked.
“Why?”
“Huh? No reason.”
“Just because?”
His lips, which were habitually being chewed, turned red. The man’s intense gaze, in close proximity, was waiting only for Yuin’s response.
“I’m not sure if I should accept it.”
“What are you talking about?”
Gieon pursed his lips, showing a hint of displeasure.
“If not you, then who else should I give it to? I’m giving it to you because it’s you.”
Despite that, Yuin’s reaction, as she probed the salad with a fork, was lukewarm.
Do I really need this card? When I come here, I’ll always be with Gieon, so naturally, I wouldn’t have any use for it.
Petty concerns about carrying it around and possibly losing it crossed her mind. It meant she didn’t attach much significance to the item.
“Feel free to come and go as you please. Take it with you. It’s yours.”
As the man pushed the card toward her again, Yuin withdrew her eagerly leaning upper body as if avoiding a small object.
At that moment, a subtle change appeared in Gieon’s previously indifferent expression.
“Is it mine?”
“Yeah. I made another spare one just for you.”
“Ah… do you have to?”
Even if you didn’t, the words that were about to follow were gulped down with a mouthful of crisp salad.
The man’s face, staring at Yuin, seemed somewhat unusual.
“Why?”
The man tapped the glass with ice in it without saying a word.
Yein, who had let out a shallow sigh first, swept her bangs aside slowly and opened her mouth.
“It’s just a key to this place, not even my house, and you’re giving it to me just because I can enter this house. Why are you so surprised?”
“What?”
“Is it so burdensome that you want to avoid it?”
Only then did Yuin realize that Gieon seemed upset.
The perplexed eyes alternated between Gieon and the dining table, and she put forth a small excuse.
“It’s not that… When I come in here, I’ll be with the landlord, so I wondered why I would need it. I also worried about losing it.”
“I’m giving it to you so you can come even when I’m not here.”
Finally understanding the reason, Yuin noticed that Gieon seemed a bit different.
The eager eyes, filled with desire, seemed to hold something indescribable.
Before something more difficult to handle could come out, Yuin quickly changed the topic.
“Mr. Landlord, are you going to work today? It’s already past 9.”
“No. I’m going to stick with you today.”
“Is that okay?”
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.”
