He was there, listening?
The cloud of worry that had cleared from Yeon Woo’s heart now returned, darker than ever.
Why was Kwon Jun Hwi smiling there? No, the real question wasn’t ‘why’, but ‘since when’ and ‘from where’ had he been listening?
As she recalled the nonsense she had blurted out, Yeon Woo shut her eyes tight.
Growling, adult sexy, what else… discreet…!
She felt like crying.
‘Kim Yeon Woo, why did you say such nonsense!’
Should she ask him how much he heard?
No, maybe he didn’t hear anything at all. Should she just stay quiet?
Even back at her desk, Yeon Woo held her head in her hands, internally groaning.
At least, thanks to this, she wasn’t thinking about the unpleasant things Yoon Ji Woo had said.
As she sat there, lost in her thoughts, staring blankly at her monitor, a message notification flashed.
Instinctively, she clicked it.
It was from Jun Hwi.
[So, which do you prefer? Pick one.]“……!”
Just from that one line, she knew exactly what he meant.
Oh, please.
[Should I bite and tear?] [Or should I wait discreetly?]She closed her eyes too late – her face was already flushing as brightly as the azaleas in full bloom.
A weekend evening, catching up with friends over street food – janchi guksu (banquet noodles) and nakji tangtang (spicy octopus).
Yeon Woo confessed to her friends about her unexpected office romance, but they reacted nonchalantly.
“I knew it would happen to Yeon Woo, hehe. I knew when she started buying those clothes.”
“Exactly. I even helped her choose a lipstick. She suddenly started to get fancy.”
“Hey, Park Kyung Ah, you were the one who insisted on that dried rose color!”
Amid the mix of congratulations and teasing, they truly savored the joy of friendship, sweet as soju.
Towards the end, her best friends showered her with blessings.
Yeon Woo sternly warned them not to spread rumors elsewhere.
“But Yeon Woo, I’m surprised you’re in an office romance. What’s it like dating a superior?”
“No, no, first ask how it feels dating a celebrity who’s been on TV!”
The inquisitive friends bombarded her with questions, not giving her a chance to answer.
“So, how is it, Kim Yeon Woo? From all that fuss about quitting, how did you end up dating?”
“Must be really nice, right? Won’t you introduce us?”
“Well, it’s kind of…”
“Why? Something wrong? Any issues?”
Right. She knew she had to face their curious prying eventually.
Might as well use this opportunity to vent her concerns.
After downing a shot of soju, Yeon Woo cautiously began to unload her frustrations.
So, how could she explain this feeling so her friends would understand?
Yeon Woo’s perfectionist and autocratic workaholic boyfriend, she thought he was only like that at work, but even in a relationship, he was draining her soul with his ups and downs.
Her large eyes rolled busily as she searched for the right words to express herself.
“First of all… his memory is too good.”
“What’s the problem with that? A person who passed the bar exam must be smart.”
“But he’s a bit too persistent, too tenacious… remembers everything.”
“Give us an example. Can’t tell just from that.”
Hmm. She probably shouldn’t mention how he had asked whether her friends Kyung Ah and Ji Hye were still secretly collecting his pictures when she said she was meeting them.
She didn’t expect him to still remember the group chat photo incident where he teased her at the control room, calling her a pervert.
And she couldn’t mention how he had tormented her for days after she innocently suggested they meet up more properly, how he clung to her words so precisely that he stayed grumpy, demanding a promise from Yeon Woo never to bring up ‘meeting up properly’ again.
But there was a suitable example that came to mind. Yeon Woo straightened her face and began.
“Listen. Remember when I commented on Kyung Ah’s chicken post on SNS, saying it looked delicious?”
“Yeah.”
“Then later that night, I casually mentioned feeling peckish for a late-night snack during a call. He immediately sent that chicken to my house.”
“……”
“Isn’t that a bit…?”
After a brief silence, Ji Hye shook her head, munching on her carrot, while Kyung Ah mumbled something about not bragging and threw a soju cap at Yeon Woo.
“No, it’s not about bragging…”
“Ah, you’re just lovey-dovey, isn’t it?”
“Hey, hear me out! I never gave him my SNS.”
“So, how did he know about your SNS?”
It was still chilling to think about it. Yeon Woo rubbed her arms and made a grimace.
“He searched using my email ID.”
“Oh. Smart guy. A prosecutor doing his investigation. Cool.”
“Kim Yeon Woo, you’re really caught now.”
“No, I’m serious!”
Yeon Woo had gently protested to Jun Hwi. Why did he have to search and view her personal SNS?
He argued it was a public account open for anyone to see, so what’s wrong with looking it up?
Yeon Woo was left speechless. It made sense when she thought about it.
It was slightly uncomfortable, but she couldn’t argue against his logic.
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.”
