With a groan accompanied by a grimace, her thick eyebrows furrowed even more.
Is she in pain?
Feeling that he needed to check her condition, Jaeyo sat on the edge of the bed and gently placed his hand on Chaeyoon’s forehead and neck.
Fortunately, she didn’t have a fever. Although he felt slightly relieved, as the worry didn’t entirely disappear, Jaeyo gently stroked Chaeyoon’s head and called her.
“Chaeyoon.”
He called for her to wake up, but Chaeyoon remained unresponsive. Even after calling her again while gently caressing her head and ears, it was the same.
“…”
If she’s sleeping this deeply, it might be better to let her be. While contemplating whether to wake her up or not, Chaeyoon’s expression softened considerably.
Jaeyo, who observed Chaeyoon sleeping more deeply, withdrew his hand that had been gently stroking her head and silently stared at her.
The head that had just realized Chaeyoon was fine began to examine why Chaeyoon’s condition had turned out like this.
[Can you tell me what happened with Little Mother?]
The eyes, darker than darkness, sank heavily.
Having looked at Chaeyoon with sleepy eyes, Jaeyo lightly kissed her forehead and then descended to the first floor.
Only Secretary Yoon was on the first floor.
Just as he was about to ask about Jipil’s location, Secretary Yoon spoke first.
“Executive Han, Chairman is coming to the study.”
Jaeyo followed Secretary Yoon to Jipil’s study.
Knock, knock.
Passing through the wood-toned door that Secretary Yoon opened, Jipil, who was basking in the warm sunlight near the window while reading a book, became noticeable.
Even though he would have heard the knock and sensed the presence, Jipil kept his eyes fixed on the book.
The silence between them was broken only when Jaeyo approached.
“How is Chaeyoon?”
Sitting in front of Jipil, Jaeyo responded.
“I’m not sure if she has a fever. We need to see when she wakes up. Do you know how long she’s been sleeping?”
“I went up an hour ago, and she was already asleep.”
Having finished his answer, Jipil closed the book with a thud, turned his chair towards Jaeyo, and asked, “What conversation did you have with Chaeyoon?”
Jipil replied as if he had been waiting.
“I told her when you lost your memory.”
Although they were exchanging words calmly, Jipil keenly observed Jaeyo’s reaction.
“When I told her that, she seemed almost contemplative.”
While expecting some reaction from Jaeyo, who didn’t show much change in his expression, Jipil mentioned Chaeyoon.
“According to Chaeyoon, she was shocked because of the news that you were injured, but she quickly recovered. However, she was acting strangely, almost as if she would collapse at any moment. That seemed suspicious, so I planned to ask you about it when you came.”
The face that had been indifferent until now regained a detached expression as if to say, “When did it become like this?”
Jipil continued, “Has anything happened that I don’t know about with Chaeyoon?”
The question Jipil truly wanted to ask was, ‘Jaeyo, has something happened to you?’
However, if he directly asked such a question, Jaeyo would likely respond with the predictable answer that nothing happened.
That’s how it had been until now.
Until now, no matter what he did, there seemed to be no way to open that silent mouth. However, now was different.
He could think like this because of the conversation he had with Jaeyo a few days ago.
[Star Icon]A few days before Chaeyoon met Kyunghee.
After finishing a work-related conversation with Jipil in the chairman’s office, Jaeyo didn’t immediately leave that day but continued with a private conversation.
“This was given to me by Little Mother.”
As he spoke, he placed a photo of Chaeyoon and Hyunmin on the table.
Seeing the photo he had given being placed down, Jipil was taken aback and widened his eyes.
He had never said that Kyunghee gave him this photo, so how did Jaeyo know?
“Well, how do you know about it?”
Instead of answering, Jaeyo threw another question.
“What did she say when she gave it to you?”
“There are rumors that Executive Han Jaeyo’s wife seems to be meeting another man. People are even saying that the woman in this photo is your wife, so do you know anything about it?”
Jaeyo’s mouth corner extended with a chilling light in one of his eyes.
Seeing Jaeyo laugh mockingly, Jipil’s gaze narrowed sharply.
“Why is that?”
Jaeyo spoke as he looked at the photo.
“It’s rare for someone to know Chaeyoon’s face, and with such a photo circulating, it’s unbelievable that such rumors spread. But… why are you letting it go so easily?”
Jaeyo’s hazy gaze at the end of his words directly met Jipil’s eyes.
“I wanted to know how you just let it slide.”
In response to the question about the reason for trusting Kyunghee’s words, Jipil reflected on the situation and moved his lips.
“When I found it a bit strange, I asked who gave me this photo, but they just said it was someone I knew, so I accepted it and sent it back.”
Then a faint sigh escaped from his well-defined nostrils.
“Oh, just that much.”
The tone that flowed out of his pursed lips carried a hint of sarcasm. Although this manner of speaking was sufficient to touch Jipil’s emotions, he persistently continued speaking while gazing steadily at Jaeyo, who had turned his gaze away.
“At that time, I was more focused on having a conversation with Chaeyoon than finding out who took that photo. And you need to know the real facts to do anything… but judging by your expression now, maybe I shouldn’t have done that.”
As he spoke, Jaeyo’s atmosphere, which had been growing colder with each word, was sensed by Jipil, who posed not an explanation but another question.
“Why? What’s the problem?”
Asking why he was so agitated, Jipil’s question was cut off by Jaeyo’s following words.
“This photo, rumors about Chaeyoon. All of this is what Little Mother did.”
Surprise took the place of the fleeting doubt in the eyes that had been filled with suspicion.
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.”
