Once. Twice. Five times. Eleven times.
As the signal beeped longer, the boundary between tinnitus and reality became blurred. The intertwined sounds began to pound every corner of Junhwi’s head as if to torment him.
······.
And finally, when the pain reached its peak, Yeonwoo answered the phone with silence.
“Kim Yeonwoo.”
Even without saying anything, he could feel it. Yeonwoo was there.
“Yeonwoo.”
······.
“Ugh!”
Soon, unbearable pain rushed in. An unintended groan escaped from Junhwi’s lips.
No, not now.
I need to hold onto you. I need to find you again!
······Hello?
Her response to his groan added salt to the wound. Even though his facial muscles were tense, Junhwi’s lips drew a smile.
What’s going on?
“Kim Yeonwoo, ugh······.”
But with his shattered mind, he couldn’t say a word.
Hello! Why, what’s.
Junhwi, whose strength had drained from his hand, dropped the phone. The call was cut off.
It was an unusually tiring and depressing night.
“Is it because I exercised after such a long time?”
Having sweated a lot in Pilates, Yeonwoo returned home, took a shower with warm water, and, as a habit, opened the fridge, taking out a beer.
Even if it’s cold, she couldn’t give up on a refreshing beer after a shower. She took a sip with a cheerful sound of opening the can.
“Ah, why is this so strong.”
Even though it was just a sip of beer, the intoxication rose much faster than on other days. Like a person who had already soaked in alcohol and took another sip, her condition was not good.
Did someone drink alcohol with my Bluetooth instead? Chuckling, Yeonwoo tried a few more sips of the precious beer, but today, alcohol tasted bitter.
“I should just go to bed early.”
Eventually, she gave up on the beer, turned off the lights earlier than usual, and lay down on the bed.
However, despite the extremely tired body, her mind was the opposite of calm.
Staring at the dim ceiling, tossing her body to one side, then to the other, sleep did not come easily.
“······.”
Well, that’s right. It seems like I was wrong about sleeping early today.
It had been a series of nights where she couldn’t easily fall asleep after parting ways with him.
Tomorrow, I really have to tell the team leader that I’m quitting. It was supposed to be a time to think about what words to use before going to bed.
Zing, her phone vibrated. Yeonwoo looked at the bright screen with suspicion.
“······.”
It was Junhwi’s call.
What should I do? What should I do?
Without thinking about answering, she just stared blankly at his name. The phone, which continued to vibrate persistently, made it difficult to distinguish whether it was a dream or reality.
Why did he call?
The wounds scratched by his gaze, which I casually looked at when I visited the office earlier, still hurt.
Having finally removed him from my memory, who treated me like a transparent person from the beginning to the end, without a single warm word.
Acting as if I’ve forgotten everything so far, why does a sudden phone call shake a person’s heart?
Can I hope again? Won’t it just increase disappointment for no reason?
Countless thoughts swirled around. Should I answer? Should I pick up? I kept delaying, repeating my worries.
Then suddenly, I thought, if I don’t answer this call, I might regret it for a long time, more than when I said, ‘Let’s stop’ first.
······I can’t do that.
Yeonwoo swallowed her dry saliva and pressed the call button with trembling hands.
“······.”
Without the courage to speak first, she only maintained silence.
Kim Yeonwoo.
His voice, arid yet desperate, broke down the dam that barely contained the flood of sadness.
Yeonwoo.
“······.”
Should I answer or not, I thought. Why does he keep calling my name so fervently, shaking my heart······!
Feelings of petulance or irritation surged. It was about time to shoot sharp words at him.
Ugh!
Suddenly, a painful groan echoed from the other end of the receiver. Yeonwoo’s stiff eyes widened.
“······Hello? What’s going on?”
All sorts of precarious moments flashed before Yeonwoo’s eyes.
Where is this man right now? Is it his home?
Did he get hurt somewhere? Did he collapse?
Why am I so worried about a person, and what the heck is happening!
Kim Yeonwoo, ugh······.
“Hello! Why, what’s.”
Instead of an answer, there was a thud, a dull sound, and then the call was cut off.
“Attorney! Kwon Junhwi!”
No matter how loudly she shouted, the disconnected phone remained silent.
“What’s going on······.”
Yeonwoo sat up abruptly from where she was lying down. A chilling energy, like icewater, swept over her body.
Calming her anxious heart, she called Junhwi again. He didn’t pick up. It was the same after repeating it two or three times.
Feeling desperate, she called him for the fifth time, hurriedly putting on a padded jacket.
She couldn’t stand the worry for him.
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.”
