The rabbit caught in her own trap had nothing to say. If there were any passersby, she might have tried to defuse the situation, but nothing was going her way.
“Calm down, Ha-jin. Don’t get sucked in,” Ha-jin consoled herself, forcing a clumsy smile and speaking up.
“What might that be?”
With no escape in sight, playing dumb was her makeshift strategy. Tae-hong’s lips curled diagonally, a mischievous smirk evident, but he maintained a cheerful facade.
If she gave even a hint of what it was, she felt like Tae-hong would truly pounce.
“Do you know, Manager?”
Flipping the question back at Tae-hong, his hand moved to smooth his forehead wrinkles. Was he backing down since she asked outright? She inwardly cheered.
With no answer from him, she assumed that the topic was done. She confidently bid farewell and was about to enter her room, but she couldn’t overcome the strength of Tae-hong’s grip.
Reluctantly, she turned her head back to face Tae-hong.
“Let’s skip that for now and have a drink.”
ads
She realized he wasn’t going to let it go easily this time. Right now, she didn’t trust herself to think straight in his presence. She’d barely managed to escape using her feigning ignorance strategy, but how long could she keep avoiding it?
After all, Tae-hong was her superior, someone she had to be around throughout the trip and even back in Seoul.
Reluctantly, Ha-jin nodded. Finally, the corners of Tae-hong’s lips rose subtly.
“Will 30 minutes be enough?”
Tae-hong asked, glancing at his wristwatch.
“Let’s change into something more comfortable and meet again.”
Realizing what he meant, Ha-jin quickly agreed and entered her room without looking back. Back in her room, she stood silently with her back against the door. The sound of the door across the hall closing hadn’t come yet.
Meaning, Tae-hong was still standing outside the door. Wanting to escape his gaze as quickly as possible, just thinking about him on the other side of the door made her heart flutter.
Should she fix her makeup? What ‘effortlessly stylish’ clothes should she wear? Various thoughts crossed her mind.
“This is the day I become a lifetime embarrassment if I get drunk, Ha-jin.”
ads
Ha-jin’s resolute words were quite combative. Exactly 30 minutes later, Ha-jin opened her room door. Tae-hong was already waiting outside.
“Did you wait long?”
“I just came out.”
Tae-hong took out his phone from his pocket, perhaps checking a message, his gaze fixed on it.
Ha-jin was used to seeing him in a perfectly fitting suit, so his relaxed knit and slacks attire felt unfamiliar. “He really does have a body that’s made for dressing up,” she thought, a content smile forming on her lips.
“Shall we go if you’re done admiring?”
Thinking he wouldn’t have noticed her gaze while looking at his phone, her face turned red as she followed him.
They arrived at the hotel lounge bar. The low-light setting created a calming atmosphere. Tae-hong effortlessly chose a spot, and Ha-jin sat beside him.
“Business trips are tough, aren’t they?”
His first words unexpectedly comforted her. It had been tough. The 6 AM wake-up calls and the effort to not feel like a substitute in her work.
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“It’s okay. I can handle it.”
But her assurance was genuine. Tae-hong had been there, giving her time to adapt, albeit briefly. That alone made it bearable for Ha-jin.
“That’s good to hear.”
The clinking of ice in the glasses filled the silence.
“Ms. Ha-jin.”
His voice, as low as the dim lighting, called out to her. Hearing her name made her feel awkward again. The occasional slip of calling her name felt sharply etched in her ears.
“Let’s have a comfortable conversation. Ha-jin, you were known as the ‘parachuted daughter’ before.”
The tags of ‘parachute’ and ‘golden spoon’ seemed to follow her around like a tail. Ha-jin, resigned, gazed down at her glass.
“I know this question might seem inappropriate.”
Then don’t ask it, she thought, suppressing the words that nearly spilled out. Sometimes, Tae-hong’s remarks irked her.
“It feels like now or never to ask.”
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Isn’t saying there’s no next time the same as telling you not to ask? This thought too, she didn’t voice out loud.
“May I ask a question?”
His cautious approach made her curious. Luckily, they were sitting side by side, not facing each other. If they had been, her changing expressions would have been all too visible.
“Yes, go ahead.”
She braced herself for a difficult question, assuming his gentle approach meant as much.
“What about your parents?”
Ah, I shouldn’t have let you ask. He knew about Zion’s bankruptcy. It was natural for him to wonder, but why did this question feel so burdensome?
“I don’t really know.”
“You don’t know?”
His response suggested surprise. Ha-jin emptied her glass.
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“As you know, they filed for bankruptcy, Zion collapsed.”
Feeling vulnerable, her tone sharpened. It was like a defense mechanism, raising spikes all over.
“They left me just an apartment and then cut off all contact.”
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.”