Sister of the Ranking 1st (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8
“Huh?”
“Since it happened within the guild, adequate compensation will be necessary… and you said you lost your phone too.”
“…I was going to buy a new one today…”
“The press will be coming as well.”
“Reporters coming to see me?”
“You’re the only unawakened person among the victims—and weren’t you called a Returner as well?”
“What?! And how did you find out I’m unawakened…?”
“An irregular unawakened Returner and an irregular Gate—that alone gives reporters plenty of reason to hound you… Ah. If you’re asking how I know, even if it’s just a short-term hire, we still do basic background checks. Just because it’s not on your resume doesn’t mean we won’t find out…”
I was completely dumbfounded by Cheon Shin Woo’s brazen admission of having dug into my background.
Is it really okay to say that so openly? No—more importantly, talking like that makes me sound like some kind of anomaly causing Gate Syncs!
As I silently swallowed a scream, Senior Min Young stepped forward.
“This is rather sudden, so Ha Young probably needs time to think. Hehe, how about you get discharged today and take some time to consider it properly?”
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
“…But isn’t her opinion what matters most?”
Senior Min Young gritted her teeth as she spoke. I’d thought this earlier too—this senior had real guts. Even facing off against Rank 1, she stood her ground without flinching. Anyone else would’ve collapsed by now.
Regardless of what Senior Min Young said, Cheon Shin Woo kept his gaze fixed on me.
“Do you dislike it?”
“It’s not that I dislike it… I’m just not sure.”
“Why?”
“…”
How could he ask “why”? Unspoken words hovered in my throat, unable to escape.
If the president suddenly offered you a house, would you just say “Yes!” and take it? Well… maybe he would. He’s Cheon Shin Woo, after all. But I’m not him.
“…I appreciate your kindness, but that’s all I can accept for now.”
“Refusing?”
“W-well, for now, at least?”
“Why?”
“…”
“There’s nothing you’d lose by accepting, Ha Young.”
That was true. Maybe I’d regret this later. But jumping at the offer still made me uneasy.
If he truly cared about the victims, he should’ve prioritized the families of those who died.
There’s no such thing as a free favor.
As I stayed silent, just fidgeting with my fingers, a voice tinged with amusement reached me.
“…Take it when it’s offered?”
His eyes crinkled at the corners. Somehow, him smiling made him even scarier.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Senior Min Young wearing a look as if she’d just met a goblin. This senior really had no poker face.
“Well, fine. I’ll let you know if I change my mind…”
Cheon Shin Woo’s eyes followed me as I glanced aside. The warmth they’d held just moments ago had vanished completely.
Turning toward Senior Min Young, he asked in a slightly lower voice,
“Do you have fare to get back?”
“Oh, Senior here said she’d give me a ride.”
“Senior? Not your actual older sister, surely.”
“…She’s a close friend I call ‘Senior.’ I’m always in her debt.”
“A Returner and a guild staff member… I see.”
Finally, that probing gaze fully lifted. Only then could I exhale in relief.
I glanced sideways and saw Senior Min Young’s expression had hardened—not out of fear, but more like she was thinking something over, dissatisfied.
Why’s she like that? Just as I wondered, Cheon Shin Woo, who’d been heading toward the door, suddenly turned and strode straight toward me. He held something out—his business card.
“This is my personal contact.”
“Huh?”
“It’s for private use only, so please don’t hand it out to others.”
“T-thank you? But why give this to me…?”
“What do you think?”
“…”
It’s not for studying me as an irregular unawakened Returner, is it? Before I could answer, he raised his hand. Instinctively, I stepped back—and he pinched my cheek.
“Hey…”
“You look like you’re thinking something foolish, but it’s probably not what you think.”
“…”
“You’re ugly…”
“W-why bring that up all of a sudden!”
“…”
So he’s saying he’s handsome?! Outraged, I shouted—and Cheon Shin Woo’s expression went blank. Startled, I took another step back, and he ruffled my hair messily…
“Uh… Excuse me?”
“Park Ha Young.”
“…Yes?”
“Never mind. If you need anything, just call.”
There are two ways to annoy someone—one is to stop talking mid-sentence…
Cheon Shin Woo, who’d called me himself, now gave me this odd look as if expecting an answer. A strange unease rose inside me.
What exactly does he want from me? I wish he’d just say it outright.
“If you change your mind, contact me.”
Leaving behind those words, tinged with amusement, Cheon Shin Woo finally headed out the door. Only after he’d completely left the hospital room did I truly relax.
It felt like weathering a storm.
“Haaah…”
As I sank down, sighing in relief, Senior Min Young spoke seriously.
“Ha Young.”
“Yeah?”
“Be honest—what’s your relationship with Cheon Shin Woo?”
“…I’m the one who’s curious. Senior, am I about to get dragged off to a lab as a test subject? Does Cheon Rang have some secret research facility where they’ll crack open my skull?”
“Your imagination’s impressive. Cheon Rang doesn’t do that sort of thing. Probably.”
“…Probably?”
“Just kidding. Anyway, the fact that Cheon Shin Woo acted like that… it must mean something…”
“…Senior?”
“You don’t happen to know… his younger sister, do you?”
“Why bring up Cheon Shin Woo’s sister out of nowhere…?”
“Think about it. Cheon Shin Woo’s personality is so extreme—he’s killed more people than bounty hunters or villains combined. When he was barely in middle school, he’d show up at the Association almost daily, causing chaos—all to find his little sister.”
“I know that story. It’s famous.”
“Not that famous—it’s mostly known inside the Association. Anyway, that old geezer of an Association head won’t stop talking about it whenever he’s had a drink…”
Senior Min Young let out a sigh. Guild members passing by in the hallway glanced over.
Even though this ward allowed relatively free access to outsiders, their wary eyes never left us.
“Why’s an Association employee here…?”
“Isn’t that her next to him? You know, from the Settlement Team…”
No—it was simply because Senior was an Association employee that they were staring.
Their hushed whispers reached my ears. Whether Senior didn’t hear them or didn’t care, she kept speaking.
“Anyway, Cheon Shin Woo went to extreme lengths every day searching for his sister—then suddenly stopped. It was weird. He’d seemed ready to resurrect her if she’d really died, but then went completely quiet…”
Even so, this is Cheon Shin Woo’s guild—was it really okay to say this? Apparently, only I was worried about that. Senior didn’t seem to care at all.
“Now that I think about it, that was right around the time you returned. Huh… Could Park Ha Young actually be Cheon Shin Woo’s sister?”
“That’s impossible! And I never even told the team I’m a Returner, Senior! Please…”
“Oh, sorry.”
When I panicked and lowered my voice in protest, Senior awkwardly scratched the back of her head. Maybe you needed nerves of steel to survive as an Association employee constantly getting pushed around. Today, I learned a new truth.
Fortunately, no one paid attention to our conversation.
Senior Min Young patted my back firmly and declared energetically,
“Never mind. Might be nothing. Let’s go get you a new phone. I took half a day off using you as an excuse, so today we’re having fun.”
Her voice was full of vitality.
“Let’s go—I’m treating you to meat today!”
“Senior, don’t you have work tomorrow?”
“Dunno. Today, I’m eating till I die. Damn it, that blasted Cheon Shin Woo. Shutting an Irregular Gate just because he feels like it—just because he’s Rank 1… like that solves everything.”
She sounded furious. Clearly, a lot had happened while I was unconscious and hospitalized.
“I’d rather die than suffer through this…”
Even as she turned the car key, she remained troubled by the countless societal issues the Irregular Gate would inevitably cause.
Silently, I patted Senior Min Young’s back.
[This is the timeline separator]Only after using the additional three days of vacation I’d received could I finally return to my normal life.
The business card Cheon Shin Woo gave me that day still sat somewhere in my pocket. I’d spent a lot of time wondering what to do with his number, but I’d at least saved it.
There was a small, hopeful part of me wondering if he might contact me first—but he never did. Cheon Shin Woo had immediately left for China on assignment to tackle and support the S-rank Gate.
No rumors about me circulated within the guild. My teammates remained as busy as ever, and Hunters still looked down on non-combat Awakeners like livestock.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely problem-free. The Gate Sync—an event everyone thought impossible—had triggered countless issues.
Among them were people staging solo protests, demanding their families be brought back, claiming money could fix anything.
As a result, South Korea remained in constant turmoil. News outlets and media debated fiercely how “the impossible” could have occurred, while conspiracy theories about a second apocalypse spread across the internet.
I was also discreetly summoned for questioning—after all, I myself was an “Irregular” who shouldn’t exist. The investigation into me, the long-forgotten unawakened Returner, was perfunctory at best.
I still showed no signs of Awakening. The sensation that had overwhelmed me that day had long since vanished like smoke, and the test results were disappointingly mundane.
I didn’t feel fresh disappointment—my immediate problem was a mountain of work.
“Ha Young’s here?”
“Yeah. Everyone looks exhausted.”
“Haha, well, the Guild Master really messed up this time. Since this Gate was an anomaly, the Association sent a notice saying we need an investigation—but he just shut it down immediately…”
She paused mid-sentence and sighed deeply. Then she abruptly switched topics.
“Oh, right. I heard you’re going to become an official guild member. Since some of those who died this time were non-combatants… they decided it’s better to promote existing assistants to official guild members instead of holding new interviews. I was actually about to suggest that myself… Anyway, congrats.”
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Most Commented This Week
The Villain Has Gone Mad For Me (Completed Main Story)
I’m The Lowest-Ranking Daughter Of A Martial Arts Villain (2 Chapters Left to Complete)
I Became the Assassin Family’s Foster Daughter (Completed Main Story)
The Duke Only Needs My Child (Completed Main Story)
Men of the Harem (137 Chapters Left to Complete)
At the End of Ruin, There You Are (56 Chapters Left to Complete)
She’s a Villainess but her Husband is Handsome (Completed Main Story)
People Aren’t Meant to Be Fixed! (4 Chapters Left to Complete)
My Discarded Fiancé Returned (Completed Main Story)
Summer Must Die (16 Chapters Left to Complete)
I Received The First Time Of My Extraordinary Superior (9 Chapters Left to Complete)
Regret With All Your Might (Completed Main Story)